Sakura no Tenshi : Part I
by dyingstar-elipsis
Summary: [Completed] Sakura was a little secret created by God, born only to love. Syaoran was corrupted by demons when he drank demonic blood, he knew only to hate. In the bloody battle between angels and demons, he is determined to kill this Angel Sakura.
1. Prologue I

Sakura no Tenshi

Prologue I

High up in heaven where angels reside, anticipation was crackling in the air. A new angel was going to arrive. Unlike all the other angels, this angel was chosen by God himself. Unknown to anyone else, God has kept his secret well. 

Light brown hair and lovely emerald eyes, the new angel was welcomed by all. God led her by the hand and proudly showed off his angel. After the cherry blossoms he found so beautiful on earth, he named her Sakura. She was the angel unknown to anyone else. She was God's little secret. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Angel Sakura soon settled in heaven, where she found everything to be new and exciting. She loved the halo that always hovered protectively over her. She loved the fluffy wings that spread themselves in readiness whenever she even thought about flying. Most of all, she loved the other angels who were so kind to her, who all seemed to love her. All, except one.

Angel Tomoyo had hung back when God brought forth his little secret. She had felt a tinge of jealousy. She had watched with envy as all the other angels bestowed her with their blessings. She had turned away from the new angel's loving words and friendliness. All in all, she did not like Angel Sakura. She would have to find a way to resolve that.

Angel Sakura was completely unaware of this animosity. She smiled sweetly at every angel that passed. Some would stop to chat with her while others hurried to their tasks. Once, she had asked an elderly angel what do angels do exactly. He had answered with solemnity that angels free mortals' souls. It was a continuous and bloody battle between angels and demons over souls. Then she had asked if angels hate demons. The elderly angel had smiled and said in a quiet yet firm voice, no. She was surprised and asked why it was so. At that, the other angel laughed and said she asked too much. Everything would be clear if she looked into her heart. 

After that, Angel Sakura did not chat. She stuck to her duty of guarding the heavenly gate. It was then Angel Tomoyo came up to her, not on a mission but for a purpose none the less important to her. 

__

Angel Sakura

Nani?

What powers do you possess?

Anou… I believe I don't possess any special powrers, Angel Tomoyo-sama. Gomen nasai.

There's no need to apologize… but, how could you be an angel if you don't possess powers?

I… I don't know. Do all angels possess powers, Angel Tomoyo-sama?

Of course we do. I, for example, possess the power of words. What I say, will become the reality. Angel Hitono-sama, the most senior of all, possesses the power to create. So, what powers do you possess?

I… I… don't have any powers. 

What? No powers? Sou ka. Good luck to you then, when you're sent on your first mission.

Angel Sakura watched the retreating figure of Angel Tomoyo. Even though she was sure she had not said a single word, she was equally sure she just had a whole conversation with the senior angel. Maybe she could not speak, because whatever she spoke would become the reality. Angel Sakura finally realized. Yet, she frowned. Until now, she had not realized she did not have any special abilities. What was it she had said at the end? _Good luck to you then, when you're sent on your first mission. _She had not given her first mission much thought yet. However, now, she couldn't shake off the cold hand of fear whenever she thought about it.

~*~*~*~*~

Angel Hitono watched as Angel Tomoyo materialized in front of her. She liked this quiet and seemingly shy angel, who always performed extraordinarily well for her missions. She relaxed in her chair, carefully folding her snow-white wings behind her. She waited patiently for the younger angel to speak. 

__

Angel Hitono-sama. The younger angel began reverently. The older angel smiled at her in acknowledgement. 

__

I was wondering if you have decided what first missions to assign to all the new angels. 

Not really. Would you like to help?

Angel Tomoyo bowed elegantly. _I'm afraid I do not have the ability. _

You underestimate yourself. What is the matter, Angel Tomoyo-chan?

Angel Hitono-sama, I would like to recommend the first mission for Angel Sakura-chan. I've talked to her. She gave me the impression of a very powerful angel. I suggest sending her to investigate the demonic activities in Nagasaki. I'm fairly sure she would do a good job of it. After all, she was the angel chosen by God himself. 

Hmm… are you sure? Even though she was personally picked by God, she is still a young angel. From what we heard, the demonic activities in Nagasaki have increased alarmingly in frequency and there are hints of a vast operation. Are you sure Angel Sakura-chan would be able to handle it? This normally requires the work of a senior angel. 

Angel Tomoyo looked at the other angel right in the eye. _Yes, I'm sure. She will do a good job and prove her worth. She is a powerful angel. _

Well… since you are so sure, all right then. Thank you for your recommendation, Angel Tomoyo-chan. I'm sure Angel Sakura-chan will be very grateful if she knows you have sung such high praises of her. 

Angel Tomoyo smiled. She bowed in reverence to the senior angel and disappeared in a soft white light for her own mission. On her way out of the heavenly gate, she passed by Angel Sakura and gave her a sweet smile. Angel Sakura returned her smile but was a bit disconcerted to see the predatory glint her the older angel's eyes.

__


	2. Prologue II

===============

Sakura no Tenshi

===============

Prologue II

Deep down in Makai, Akuma Naagasushite's residence was in a turmoil. The demons under him were agitated, irritated and terribly shocked when they saw him returning from his hunt.

"Are you mad? Why did you bring that thing here? Why didn't you kill it? Aren't you afraid the Grand Duke Ashitarote will find out?" Furishigano paled visibly when he saw the bundle in Naagasushite's arms. The latter smirked, "Then it's up to you to make sure he doesn't." To the rest of the lesser demons, he said, "Forget what you've seen today. Or else, you can choose your pick of death." He motioned Furishigano to follow him. 

Once they were out of earshot, Furishigano hissed, "What exactly is that?" Naagasushite threw the bundle onto the table and pulled open the covers, exposing a small boy with amber eyes and a serious expression. Furishigano drew in his breath sharply. Then, he smiled and used his long, sharp tongue to lick his lips. He opened his mouth wide, exposing rows of sharp teeth and tried to swallow the aura of the boy. He nearly choked on his own breath. 

"Don't attempt to eat him, " Naagasushite snarled, roughly pushing Furishigano away. "He's very precious, created from the essence of an angel and the soul of a mortal. He is the embodiment of purity. Now, however, we're going to turn him into a demon." Naagasushite laughed cruelly at the irony of it. 

Furishigano picked himself up from the ground and watched the little bundle with renewed amazement. "How did that happen? Anyway, if he has the essence of an angel, it's impossible to teach him to hate." 

Naagasushite chuckled. "That's why I gave him the soul of a mortal, along with all the weaknesses. Oh, he will learn to hate very well. After all, he is the most ingenious of my creations. I won't be so careless as to make mistakes. He would be perfect, with face like an angel and heart like a demon. Haven't you noticed that even though we, the higher demons could take the shape of good-looking mortals, we still couldn't fool angels? That's because we are still essentially demons. But, he," he gestured towards the boy, "Will be different. With him, we will be able to win the long war against angels. With him, demons will rule the world. Makai will be stronger than either Chijou or heaven. We will make those damn angels pay, with their blood." He spat the last words with such vehemence that he startled the boy. Changing his tone to a sickeningly silky voice, he cooed, "Because angels' blood is the sweetest, don't you agree?"

Furishigano's mouth watered at the memory. However, he still frowned. "Then shouldn't you present it to Grand Duke Ashitarote? He will give you a handsome reward for such an ingenious creation. You could be promoted to Second Commander. Keeping it for yourself would be rebellious."

Naagasushite turned on him, with eyes blazing. "That's the whole point! You think I want to be Second Commander if I can be the Grand Duke? Why do I have to listen to somebody else? With him, I **can** rebel!" Furishigano took a step back involuntarily. He swallowed a few times. Naagasushite was famous for tearing demon's head off when he was not pleased with them. 

Naagasushite regarded the trembling demon through narrowed eyes. He would have to remember to get rid of him. He's too weak to be his immediate assistant. Finally, Naagasushite smiled and patted Furishigano on the back. "Now, you remember not to tell that to anyone else. We don't want our plan to fall through before we're ready, do we? Go out and pacify the lesser ones now." 

"What are you going to do with him now?" Furishigano persisted, a little braver now that Naagasushite had clamed down. "Just give it to Grand Duke Ashitarote. You can't keep this secret forever. The other demons will find out sooner or later." Naagasushite scratched his chin thoughtfully and remained in silence for so long that Furishigano thought for a moment that he had fallen asleep. Unexpectedly, Naagasushite lunged and blast off the other demon's head.

"Meddlesome creature. Who told you I was going to keep him in Makai and risk Ashitarote finding out about it? Kukuku… now that I think about it, I would prefer him to be my little secret than sharing it with you. A secret that I will keep very, very well." Naagasushite muttered softly to himself as he watched the rest of Furishigano's body slowly decompose and disappear in a wisp of black smoke. Finally, he turned his attention back to the boy, who was watching the whole process with morbid fascination. 

Naagasushite was amused. _Already_, he thought, _he had shown the capability of being a blood-lusty demon_. However, he could not afford to take any chances. He studied the boy. With soft brown hair, sharp features and the expressive amber eyes, he would be considered good-looking by mortal standards. Well, that suited him too. Gently, he brushed his scaly fingers over the boy's petal-like lips. 

The boy puzzled expression quickly gave way to disgust as he opened his mouth and clamped down hard on the fingers, drawing dark drops of demonic blood. Naagasushite chuckled in amusement at this expected outcome. The boy's eyes widened in amazement and pain as the hot demonic blood scalded his mouth. He tried to push the fingers away. Naagasushite used his other hand to force open the boy's mouth and poured more of his blood down his throat. The boy trashed wildly and Naagasushite had to force two more arms to grow out from his back to press the boy down. Finally, the demonic blood took effect as the boy's eyes gradually clouded over with sleep. 

Naagasushite was satisfied with himself and he got up to leave. All of a sudden, the boy reached out a hand and clawed at his right arm, leaving a bloody trail. Naagasushite cried out in pain and was about the tear out the head of the offending party when he laughed suddenly. "So fiery, just like a wolf. From now on, you will be called Syaoran then. An unusual name for a demon but then again, you're no normal demon. Akuma Syaoran, you will make a fine demon yet. Your angelic powers combined with demon blood will make you invincible. All you have to do is to curb the weaknesses of your mortal soul." 

The demon lord left the room to silence and an unconscious boy. Unknown to the sleeping Syaoran, the dark demonic blood in his veins had reached the white, glowing angelic essence in his heart and was slowly but surely staining it black, like a demon's heart. 

~*~*~*~*~ Ten years later ~*~*~*~*~

Akuma Syaoran was standing at a hilltop in Nagasaki, carefully inspecting his troop, which consisted of four lower demon lords and forty over lesser demons. He sighed in frustration. The sheer number of lesser demons was a burden. However, he did spot several eager faces in the lesser demons, trying to seize every chance they've got to overthrow their respective demon lords. This made him recall his own bloody struggle. Lesser demons were promoted by literally 'eating' their superiors. As long as you have the ability to destroy a demon of higher order, you have the right to take his place. That was how it was in the demon world. Forever 'eating' others until one day you were 'eaten' by someone else. It was a cruel system, but the demon world had never known mercy of any kind.

Syaoran's own struggles were quick and successful. This was aided secretly to a certain degree by the demon overlord, Akuma Naagasushite. For five years, Naagasushite had kept Syaoran in Chijou and unknown to anyone else, had trained this young demon-to-be all about curses and hexes. He taught him how to smell out angels, the best way to kill them and the energy you can gain from their blood. He taught him how to capture souls, how to make agreements with condemned souls and how to suck out their essence. He also taught him all there is to know about the demon world. In short, he had taught him all he knew. 

This was highly difficult, if not impossible to conceive in the demon world. For all lesser demons, it was either adapt or die. Nothing was ever taught. Everything was learnt through experiences, often at the expense of death. In their times in Chijou, Naagasushite had also taught Syaoran to hate, the only emotion he could teach him because that was the only emotion a real demon could ever feel. Thus, Syaoran's budding gratefulness to his 'teacher' was quickly drowned out by the hatred for him. Hence, apart from appearances, Syaoran was in all ways, a full-fledged demon. 

When Naagasushite finally brought Syaoran to the demon world in the sixth year, a lot of skeptic eyebrows [if they could be called eyebrows] were raised. Many of the lesser demons had nearly rebelled as they could not accept a mere human to be their lord. That was quickly resolved when thirty over heads were torn out and two of the highest demon lords were disposed of by the pair. Thus, Naagasushite had climbed into the position of the demon overlord and Syaoran into the demon first-lord. Things had remained stagnant for four years thereafter. 

There were only three demons with positions higher than the demon overlord, Second Duke Kagasumashita, First Duke Hinomekagami and lastly, the most powerful of all, the Grand Duke Ashitarote. These three formed the supporting pillar for the demon world and no one had ever thought of overthrowing them ever since Grand Duke Ashitarote had overthrown the previous Grand Duke Makaiichikami. No one, or so it seemed. These three _had_ been a little concerned when Syaoran was promoted to become the demon first-lord. After all, no human had ever became a demon lord. However, as the demon world worked completed by merit, they did not raise any audible objections. This suited Naagasushite very well. Syaoran had also proved his worth in countless dangerous missions.

Presently, Syaoran was in charge of a massive mission in Nagasaki. Recently in Nagasaki, the Dukes had sensed tremendous amounts of energy. This was due of the birth of many gifted people in the area and the aura they projected was too tempting for the demons to resist. Syaoran was instructed to organize a large army and conduct random disturbances on the people in order to create evil vibes and disrupt the energy flow in the area. This way, it would be easier for the cracking down of the strong protective shields unconsciously created by these gifted people. Personally, Syaoran would have preferred to march in with a group of elite demons and crack down on the shields himself. However, the upper level obviously thought this was too risky and had thus came up with this new plan. This new, stupidly slow plan, as Syaoran called it. 

Having finished inspecting his army, Syaoran cast his eyes skywards. _The angels would be soon to arrive_, Syaoran thought with glee. _There will soon be a long and bloody fight. Lovely. Their blood would be enough to make up for all the crap I've been putting up with from the Dukes. I will be awaiting your arrival, angels. And guess what, you won't make it back alive._

With a heartfelt chuckle, Syaoran descended the hill. 

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A/N: hi people. A very big thankyou for patiently reading my fic. Actually, it's my first fic abt CCS. I've read the manga and watched both movies ages ago. Dun ask me y I took so long to come up with a fic. ::hehe:: yes, Tomoyo is evil this fic and guess what, Syaoran will be evil too. There'll be a lot of Sakura-torture in the later chapters too. When you're done cursing me for it, remember to review ne? [actualli, when u think abt it, wld u really prefer me to torture Syaoran instead?]

Disclaimer: [gomen, I forgot to insert one for the prologue I] I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura and all her characters [isnt that so tragic?] but I do own this fic and all the stupid characters I made up. So there.

A/N(2): oh yar, talking abt the names, I've no idea what the heck are the proper names for all the angels and demon lords so I made them up. Hope they do not sound toooo fake. Ok fine, they do sound fake [who the hell am I kidding?] but everyone, pls overlook the fact. Will more knowledgeable personals pls enlighten me on this matter though? Btw, all the crap abt the demon world was made up too.


	3. The Meeting

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Sakura no Tenshi

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Chapter 1 – The Meeting

It was always a buzz in the purification room in heaven. There would always be an endless queue of angels awaiting their turn for purification. Angels returning from their mission, angels setting off for their mission and angels eager to receive their missions. For such pure creatures, it was a wonder how much time they spent on purification. 

Angel Sakura was almost speechless with amazement when she arrived at this busy place. She had just received a message from Angel Hitono, requiring her presence after she had purified herself. Angel Sakura was deeply mystified by this seemingly redundant process. She nudged the angel in front of her. 

"Sumimasen Angel Hanako-san, what is purification all about? Why do we need to purify?" Angel Hanako looked back at the inquisitive angel and smiled brightly. "Well," she began, "actually I'm not very sure what purification involves. I'm also a new angel and this is also my first time. However, I heard from some sempai that purification is a very essential process for angels. I'm sorry I'm not able to help you much."

"Sou ka." Feeling a bit dampened, Angel Sakura turned her attention back to observing the other angels. _Even though there was not much physical difference between the angels going in and the angels going out, I can still tell at a glance who was going in and who was going out. Did the purification room do something to them that caused them to project a different aura? _Angel Sakura suddenly thought with a shudder. Her thoughts were interrupted by a pleasant "Hey". 

"Hey, are purifying yourself for your First Mission?" It was Angel Hanako's turn to nudge her. 

"Aaa… I… I don't know." Angel Sakura's heart suddenly constricted when she thought of this possibility. "Is that the only reason why we would be here?"

Angel Hanako scratched her head. "Well, I think the only reasons why we are here is either because we had to go to Chijou or we are going to receive a mission. Since you're a new angel, you couldn't be going to Chijou yet so I figured you're receiving your First Mission. I'm going to receive my First Mission too. Isn't that exciting? I can't wait to receive it."

Drowning in her own blabbering, Angel Hanako did not notice Angel Sakura's rosy lips had paled several shades. "Angel Hanako-san, what kind of First Missions would they assign us?"

"I don't know about that. I should think they would give you missions that you would be able to handle using your special abilities. Speaking of which, what is your special ability? I have the power of putting people to sleep, hypnosis, I think."

Angel Sakura flushed. "Anou… I… don't think I have any special abilities." Suddenly, she was very concerned. "Then what about in my case? What kind of mission would they give me? What if I can't handle the mission they gave me? Would I receive a punishment?" 

Angel Hanako's eyes widened in astonishment. "But you must have a special ability of some kind! When I was tested to be an angel, I was pointedly asked if I had any special abilities. They told me outright that if I don't have any special ability, they would not take me even if I have a score way above expectations. Turned out I didn't. I barely passed. What was your test like? You must have scored full marks!"

Angel Sakura's flush deepened. "I… I didn't take the test. I don't have any special abilities. I don't know how I got here. I don't even remember what was my life like before I became an angel. I just remember waking up in God's arms, with him cradling me and calling me his little secret."

Angel Hanako's eyes widened, if possible, even further. She was speechless with awe for full two minutes. "Wow. You must be really special then. I bet you would be a high-ranking angel someday. Good luck for your first mission. Don't worry, I don't think they will give you a very difficult one. You're still a new angel no matter what. Actually, I- "

"Angel Hanako."

"Ah, it's my turn now. I need to go. See you around soon."

__

If I get back alive from my First Mission, Angel Sakura thought wanly. She sighed. Suddenly, she felt like running away, as far from here and her First Mission as possible. During the five minutes of waiting time, she had even planned her escape route. 

"Angel Sakura, it's your turn now."

"Hai," still sighing, she entered the purification room. 

~*~*~*~*~

"Reports, everyone! What have you done so far?" Akuma Syaoran snapped at the four demon lords kneeling at his feet. The first in line slowly stood up. 

"Akuma Syaoran-sama, there have been altogether twelve possessions by demons this week. We still have not yet been able to penetrate into the dreams of condemned souls."

"What? Only twelve possessions?" Syaoran turned on him incredulously. His lips curled into a cruel smile. "You mean to tell me that after all these times, the forty of you have only been able to possess twelve mortals?"

"My apologies," the demon lord added hastily. "The strong protective aura set up around this area had made it extremely hard for possessions. However, we will work on it. There will be a better report next week."

"There better be. Kanugoshito, you are a high-ranking demon lord. Surely you don't want someone more capable to replace you, do you?" Syaoran stated coldly. "That's not the main problem. Have you heard anything from the angels?"

"No, nothing."

"Really? The angels sure are taking their own sweet time. Damn it!" With blazing eyes, he turned towards the demon lords, all of whom had cowered visibly at his anger. Feeling decidedly more irritated, he hexed at the nearest, slicing him neatly into two. He felt much better.

"Keep watching, the angels can't lie quiet for long," he said, as he left the disgusting scene of demons gorging on their recently fallen comrade. 

~*~*~*~*~

The first thing Angel Sakura noticed when she entered the purification room was that simply everywhere was lighted up. The entire room seemed to glow with a soft white light and there was not a single shadow anywhere. The second thing she noticed was that there was no visible light source in the room. This was enough to make anyone wonder. Angel Sakura was still pondering this mystery when she was startled by the sound of light footsteps behind her. Turning around, she came face to face with what must have been the most beautiful angel around. 

"Hello. I'm Angel Kaho, the angel in charge of the purification room. Is it your first time here?" Angel Kaho asked gently. Angel Sakura looked down at the floor and blushed. "Yes," she said softly. Angel Kaho ruffled her hair playfully and gestured her towards the only chair in the room. 

"Then I shall explain from the start," she began when she saw that the younger angel was properly settled. "The purpose of the purification room is to purify the angels when they are going to receive a mission, when they are going for a mission and when they are returning from a mission. How we do this is by cleaning the angelic essence that is in our immortal body. Everyday, the angelic essence is polluted by many thoughts and things. However, we cannot taint the holiness of our missions and hence, we need to purify. Is that clear to you?"

When Angel Sakura nodded shyly, Angel Kaho nodded as well. "Good, then I shall begin the purification process." 

Suddenly, all the lights in the room seem to go off all at once. The room was plunged into darkness. Angel Sakura panicked and turned in her chair desperately. She couldn't even see her own body. Then, she noticed something glowing in front of her. Leaning forward, she realized it was a ball of light. The ball of light gradually grew stronger in intensity and it revealed a body and a face. Angel Kaho. _It's her angelic essence._ Angel Sakura realized. _But… it's so beautiful. _However, before she had time to react, Angel Kaho reached out a hand and put it _right through her chest_. 

Surprised, Angel Sakura yelled out. Angel Kaho put a finger to her lips and slowly withdrew her hand. There was a small ball of white light been loosely held by her fingers. Angel Sakura gasped out loud in astonishment as she watched her own angelic essence being gradually pulled out. With a certain amount of interest, she noticed that her angelic essence was not docile. It was struggling to get back into her body. 

Using her free hand, Angel Kaho drew a complicated pattern in the air and slowly released the ball of light. It fluttered for a while and quickly tried to fly back to her owner. Halfway through, it met with an invisible wall and was trapped by it. Angel Sakura watched with fascination as it struggled gallantly. Finally, it seemed to realize that resistance is futile and quieted down. Angel Sakura felt her jaws dropping slowly to the ground during this entire process. 

Then, Angel Kaho crossed her fingers and began to chant. Angel Sakura felt herself relaxing. At first, her voice was a soft, luring whisper, however, it gradually got louder and louder as the purification process gained momentum and by the end of the chant, her voice was a booming crescendo. When she ended the last words of her chant, silence was rudely given back to the room. To her surprise, Angel Sakura discovered that her angelic essence had changed from a ball of white light to a ball of _pink_ light. Her eyes must have reflected her question as Angel Kaho bent down suddenly and pat her on the head.

"Are you wondering why your angelic essence has changed from white to pink?" At the affirmative nod, Angel Kaho continued, "Well, contrary to common belief, white does not always signify purity. Purity is just an expression of a person when he or she is behaving most like himself or herself. So purifying an angel actually means cleaning out all the external influences and let the angel behave like herself. Do you understand?"

"I think so."

"Good, run along now. You wouldn't want to be late for your first meeting with Angel Hitono-sama."

Angel Sakura was suddenly reminded of this meeting. All her fears returned. As she bade good-bye with Angel Kaho, she began to wonder once again, just what her mission would be. 

Angel Kaho watched Angel Sakura's vanishing figure sadly. _So your colour is pink. Will you meet the angel whose colour is green?_

~*~*~

Angel Tomoyo watched as Angel Sakura came out from the purification room. She smiled to herself. She had just been back from yet another successful mission. Now, she would be free for some time and there would be time to play with this new angel. Smirking, she entered the purification room. 

~*~*~

Arriving at Angel Hitono's room, she hesitated. There was no door. She walked around the exterior of the room a few times. Finally, she knocked on the wall. With a small pop sound, a door appeared exactly where she had knocked. Tentatively, she opened it. An elderly angel was sitting at the desk in the middle of the room. An empty chair was in front of it. 

"Angel Hitono-sama," Angel Sakura said with respect. With occasional white streaks shooting through her raven black hair and an ageless face that was neither young nor old, her appearance alone demanded respect. Angel Hitono responded with a curt nod towards the chair. Angel Sakura sat down quickly.

"Even though you're still a new angel, I would have expected you to at least learn to apparate by now." Angel Hitono silenced Angel Sakura's explanations with a hand. "I'm sure you would have guessed that this meeting is regarding your First Mission. Hence I expect you to have prepared yourself at least to a certain degree. Without further ado, this is your First Mission." Angel Hitono handed the other angel a large white envelope. "I must remind you that First Missions are very important to angels. This will be the first impression you will make on the other angels. Make sure you do a good job. Any questions?" 

"Yes… what exactly does it mean to investigate the demonic activities in Nagasaki?" Angel Sakura was a little irritated and perplexed. She couldn't believe that all her agonizing earlier on was simply for these few minutes. It was too simple.

"Well, recently it seems, the demonic activities in Nagasaki has increased alarmingly in frequency. Your mission is to find out how many demons are involved, why they're targeting Nagasaki, who was leading the attack and what was their pattern of attack. In short, you're supposed to find out as much as you can about this incident. Is it clearer now?"

"Yes, Angel Hitono-sama. Thank you."

"Good. You have to take note that you're only investigating the activities. Do not involve yourself in actual combat yet. Your job, therefore, is extremely important as our combat activities would depend on your information. Failure is not an option."

"Yes, Angel Hitono-sama. I will do my best."

"Doing your best is not enough, you have to succeed. Please depart for Chijou as soon as possible. Good luck."

Angel Sakura bowed at her sempai mutely and left the room. Things were not looking good. For one, she did not know how to apparate and secondly, she had no idea how to go to Chijou. She'll just have to try her luck.

~*~*~*~*~

Angrily, Syaoran blast his way through the crowd of lesser demons. Finally, he arrived at the shimmering shield. Cautiously, his mind probed at the shield. It didn't yield a single bit. He concentrated harder. The shield was still solid. Using all the might of his will, he crashed down on the shield. At last, he sensed a little crack. _The shield was finally beginning to weaken_, he mused. Turning to the nearest demon, he asked, "Any sign of angels?"

Upon receiving the answer no, he gave another tremendous blast to the shield. The shield shook a bit more. _Damn it_, he thought. _At this rate, we would be done by the time they're here_. The rest of the demons slowly backed away from their leader. Even though he was a very competent leader, no one was willing to be around when he was angry. The demons hurried to their work. 

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

All work was halted when that loud shriek was heard. Syaoran looked up just in time to see a white bundle falling rapidly from the sky and crashing splendidly into the forest nearby. He was stunned for a minute before he realized and laughed sinisterly. _At last they're starting to arrive. What a spectacular entrance, angels. At least you did not let me wait in vain._ Still amused, Syaoran looked expectantly up at the sky. However, no more came. 

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A/N: finally. A cliffhanger but I'm sure you've realized who that 'white bundle' was rite? ::hehehe:: well, thanks to all those who reviewed. sorry I'm unable to thank each and everyone of you individually coz its very late now [abt. 1 am. I alwaes seem to do my work at this time] im veri touched. honestly, considering its my first CCS fic and all. anw, despite all the protest I've got, I've decided to go ahead with my original plan [which is a lot of sakura-torture that may or may not lead to her eventual death]. However, as a gd author, im obliged to hear frm my audience as well. Hence, ppl, its time for you to vote. [this is in case you get a heart attack when you read further so im warning you in advance]

Poll 

sakura's eventual death syaoran's eventual death sakura **and **syaoran's eventual death 

so ppl, plz vote. Notice im not giving a happily eva after ending? ::hehe:: ::evil laughter:: I juz thought there're simply too many happily eva after fics around. Pls vote for your fav ending, though im not obliged to completely follow what you have chosen and there may still be a big twist at the end. However, if you want to vote, you'll have to leave a review. [yar, that's my ulterior motive ::hehe::] so ppl, **please leave a review**. yar. thanx. 

Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura and all her characters do not belong to me. Damn it. 


	4. The Chase

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Sakura no Tenshi

============== 

Chapter 2 – The Chase

Angel Sakura departed for the purification room with a heavy heart. _There're still so many things I don't know and they're asking me to investigate demons. How am I going to do that without special abilities? _She thought desperately. Just then, she saw Angel Hanako coming out of the purification room. 

"Angel Hanako-san?"

"Yes? Oh it's you, Angel Sakura-chan. Have you gotten your first mission?"

"Yes, but-"

"So have I. Guess what it is? I'm supposed to assist in the cleaning up of the mess that was left behind after the latest fight between the angels and the demons. Isn't it exciting?"

"Cleaning up of… huh?"

"It will be dealing with the witnesses, wiping their memories and restoring their lives back to normal. It's quite an advanced first mission. I'm quite surprised they gave this mission to me. Did I tell you I didn't pass with very good marks?"

"Yes… so are you going to Chijou now?"

"Of course, oh no, I got to run. See you"

"Ho… hold on! Can you tell me how to get to Chijou?"

"Huh? You mean you don't know? You didn't tell that to Angel Hitono-sama, did you? She would have been very displeased. Actually, it's really simple. You just have to go through the heavenly gate. I really got to go now. See you when I get back."

With a last wave, Angel Hanako dashed off in the general direction of the heavenly gate. "Sou ka," Angel Sakura murmured softly to herself. With one last look around, she entered the purification room. 

When she re-emerged from the purification room, she felt much calmer and relaxed. Slowly, she started strolling towards the heavenly gate. She did not see any reason for her to hasten to her mission. Her pace was still _largo_ when she met Angel Tomoyo. The senior angel stopped her immediately. 

__

Angel Sakura, aren't you going for your first mission? 

Yes, Angel Tomoyo-sama. 

Then how come you're walking so leisurely? Don't you know that all first missions are timed, starting from the moment you received your mission till the time when you come back to report your success or failure? This will reflect badly in your report.

Gomen nasai, Angel Tomoyo-sama.

Angel Sakura hurried past the other angel, her face hot with embarrassed. Angel Tomoyo watched her fluster with a certain amount of satisfaction. _Actually, it did not matter if you loiter here or not, for soon, you will not be able to see this place. See you in Chijou, my little angel_. Smirking, Angel Tomoyo changed direction and headed, too, for Chijou. 

Angel Sakura stared at the heavenly gate uncertainly. Even though she had been on duty by the gate for a long time, she did not really observe what the other angels did when they leave the gate. She wanted to kick herself. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she murmured," Just walk through this gate and I'll be in Chijou. Then I can finish my mission and come back here. Right, just walk…"

She walked through the gate. Nothing happened. Puzzled, she looked around. No other angels are coming. She took a few more steps forward. Still, nothing happened. She was about the turn back when the ground underneath her gave way. She started falling. 

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

She fell and fell and fell. For a long time she fell and she screamed for as long as she fell. Finally, the clouds began to part. She was about to stop screaming to heave a sigh of relief when she saw what was meeting her on earth. 

She screamed and screamed. She completely forgot about the wings that were attached to her back. 

The vast forest loomed nearer and nearer. Angel Sakura flapped her arms wildly and fruitlessly. She was losing altitude with amazing speed. The huge canopy of trees stretched out to meet her. Thick solid branches reached out to break her fall, cracking nearly every bone in her body in the process. After a long and painful journey vertically through the canopy, she finally reached the forest floor. 

Lying on her back, crushing her wings and horribly bruised all over, Angel Sakura stared at the tiny patch of sky that had been temporarily cleared of branches by her descend. Her mind felt numb, like one who had gone through too much shock to be aware of it. Slowly, her world grew dim as her eyelids closed. The last thing she was aware of before she slipped out of consciousness was a single, snowy-white feather falling almost lazily from the sky. 

~*~*~*~*~

Akuma Syaoran was feeling much better than he had in many days. Standing at the hilltop, he was barking out orders almost joyously to the other demons. 

"All those that can fly take to the skies and start searching from the air." Four demon lords spread their black, scaly wings and took off immediately. "The others search by land. This angel **must** be found before dawn. She can't be too far into the forest and she must have been injured. Nobody is allowed to touch her. Report back to me the moment you found her." 

With wasting a single moment, the rest of the lesser demons ran off into the forest with astonishing speed, though none of them was following any specific pattern. From the bird's eye view, they almost looked like fleeing cockroaches. Syaoran watched with disgust as the last of the lesser demon ran off. He did not really believe any of them would find the angel, however, he still had to give the standard commands. 

Never once taking his eyes away from the forest, Syaoran undid his long, black robe and threw it down the hill. His eyes gleamed with anticipation and excitement. Nothing was more fun than chasing after an angel and slaying her. Nothing, except maybe drinking her blood. He could almost taste it in his mouth, the sweet angelic blood, giving such energy and power, so pure, so fragrant. 

On his back, two small bulges had appeared. Rapidly, they grew in size and changed in shape. Soon, they broke through the clothing as two small meaty stubs. The meaty stubs grew bigger and bigger. It was not long before they began to take the shape of two small cupid wings. Feathers began to sprout, covering the once-bare meaty stubs. All this time, the wings were still getting larger and larger. Finally, a magnificent pair of wings spread itself in readiness behind Syaoran's back. The whole process took under a minute.

Unlike the demon's wings, they were neither bat-like nor covered with scales. It was a pair of angels' wings, matching completely in size and shape. The only difference was that instead of snowy-white feathers, Syaoran had black feathers, black as the night. 

__

Now, angel, I'm ready for you. I must warn you, that no angel has escaped from me before. In one fluid movement, Syaoran ascended the sky. He flew towards where he remembered seeing the angel fell. His memory had never failed before. 

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A/N: Yes, people, I noe, it's very incomplete and unforgivably short. Well, juz thought that its time to put up another chapter. Actualli was inclined to combine diz chapt. with the nxt chapt., where all the real action stuff comes out. However, as it was very late now [actualli not so lar, im juz sleepy so im making up excuses] so I decided to stop writing. ::hehe:: yar, thanx very very very very much to all those who reviewed. all I can say is all of you are hardworking ppl who bothered to press dat little button there and type something. That's a commendable spirit. Keep it up! For all those who read diz fic but was too lazy to press that little button, I have nothing to say. I kant force you to review my fic. Anw, a very big thanx to all those who have been patiently reading my fic [it's the fourth chapt.! Kan you believe it?! Ok, that shows I'm not a patient person]. Hope you continue to like the rest of the chapts.

Yes, the moment you've all been waiting for [I hope], regarding the results of the poll, which concerns the ending… ::hehehehe:: one of the endings will come true, you have to read on to find out which one. Actually no lar, the ending is still open to [my] discretion. Hence, nothing is decided. It's still the beginning, there's still a long wae to go. The end is still far. Let me worry abt it when the time comes. K, now, its time for me to sleep. Gd nite everyone. :)

Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura does not belong to me… but Syaoran does. ::gets bombarded by all the Syaoran fangirls:: ::crawls out barely alive:: ok damn it, Syaoran does not belong to me. 


	5. The Encounter

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Sakura no Tenshi

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Chapter two – The Encounter

Angel Sakura could taste the blood in her mouth when she finally regained consciousness. She found herself lying in a pool of blood. _Her blood_. She felt sure her back was broken and her head felt giddy. Is it possible for angels to have concussions? Finally, she observed that her whole body was swollen with bruises and cuts, everywhere was sensitive to the touch and she felt sore all over. _Great, what a nice way to start my First Mission. _She thought bitterly as she tried to sit up. It was painful but things couldn't get worse than it already was. It just couldn't. 

A few minutes later, she began to feel her automatic healing powers kick in. _It's about time_, she thought grimly. Staring up at the tiny blue patch of sky that was visible through the canopy, she realized with horror that she had no idea how to get back to heaven. Too weak to panic, she could only drown in desperation. Burying her face in her hands, she groaned. The first tears began to fall. 

She did not know for how long she had cried, sitting alone on the forest floor with shoulders heaving. When she finally raised her tear-stained face from her hands, she realized that she wasn't giddy anymore. _Thank goodness healing powers are build-in for angels_. Feeling slightly more encouraged, she decided to do something more proactive. She decided to examine her injuries. 

__

Oh, so my back is not broken, my wings are broken. No wonder it's so painful. I couldn't even hold them upright. It's going to take a long time to heal. Sighing, she tried to stand up. Her left leg gave way and remained twisted in an unnatural angle. _So my leg is fractured as well. Lovely_. Closing her eyes, she resolved to take a little nap to aid in her healing powers. The small cuts and bruises had begun to close up. 

She did not want to think about what she was going to do now that she had ended up in this state. She did not even know how to go about doing anything, much less complete her mission. Clenching her fists tightly, she berated her weakness and lack of power. For a flitting moment, she even blamed God for singling her out to be an angel. The moment passed very quickly. Now, she would only blame herself. 

~*~*~*~*~

The pair of eyes watching from a safe distance away twinkled in amusement. Taking care to mask her aura well, Angel Tomoyo remained unmoved by the younger angel's plight. She knew that Angel Sakura was losing way too much blood. She knew that her healing powers were not working right. She knew that the demons would be here soon. She knew, yet, she did not move. 

She cast her eyes skywards. The demon lords should be the first to arrive. Honestly speaking, she was as curious as the other angels as to which demon was in charge of this massive operation in Nagasaki. However, she was not going to do a single thing that would aid Angel Sakura to complete her First Mission. 

Smiling slightly, her gaze returned to Angel Sakura and focused on a point slightly below the young angel's chest. A dark red patch was forming on the white robes. It was getting larger and lager. _Her healing powers are definitely not working right. Losing blood at this rate, even we, angels, can die._

~*~*~*~*~

The trees melt into a blur as Akuma Syaoran flew over it. He could almost smell the angel now. _So close, she's so close!_ Syaoran licked his lips in glee. Finally, he spotted the break in the monotony of canopy. Putting on a new surge of speed, he flew towards the tiny circle. The smell of blood filled his nostril. He spotted some blood on the branches. _What a painful fall_, he mused. Staring down at the branches that were in his way, he hurled a fireball down and watched it burn through the branches. With a crooked smile, he headed down. 

~*~*~*~*~

Angel Sakura was still concentrating on aiding her healing powers when the sudden blast shocked her. Her eyes snapped open to see a giant fireball burning its way down. With a surprised yell, she dragged her battered body up and backed away hurriedly, leaving a bloody trail. Luckily, her wings had healed enough to lift her a few centimetres above the ground and she did not have to depend on her fractured leg. 

When the fireball reached the forest floor, it exploded into a puff of black smoke, completely blocking off Angel Sakura's field of vision and causing her eyes to water. As she coughed and spluttered, a figure in black stepped out of the smoke. Angel Sakura opened her eyes warily. Through the smoke, she could only see a silhouette of the figure. 

The smoke soon cleared. The outline and features of the figure sharpened considerably. He stepped into the light. Angel Sakura gasped. It was a handsome boy with brown hair and amber eyes that sparkled with excitement and hatred. He was dressed completely in black and an unpleasant aura. Her sensitive nose soon recognized the aura. It was evil. However, the most surprising thing about this boy was that he had a pair of wings, exactly like hers, only a different colour. While hers is white like the snow, his was black as coals. 

Hidden from both parties, Angel Tomoyo drew in her breath sharply. She recognized the teenager all too well. She began to feel real fear and concern for Angel Sakura. Much as she disliked the angel, she did not want to cause her death, especially at the hands of such a person. 

"Wh… who are you?" Angel Sakura stammered, backing ever so slowly away from him.

Syaoran threw back his head and laughed, as if the question really amused him. It was a harsh laughter, complete with all the venom and mockery, perfected by years of practice. "What is it, angel? Don't recognize a demon when you see one?" He sneered, defying her attempts to back away by closing in the distance between them. 

Angel Sakura suddenly found herself just an arm's length away from the handsome teenager. Much as his presence unsettled her, his aura was suffocating her. She did not have enough power yet to build a shield strong enough to block an evil aura. She found that she had difficulty breathing. 

__

Eh? He's a demon? The working part of her brain tried to digest this information. She was suddenly reminded of her mission. 

Taking a few steps back, she breathed enough to ask, "So demon, are you the one in charge of the massive operation in Nagasaki?" 

Watching this exchange thus far, Angel Tomoyo nearly fell off from the tree she was sitting on. 

Syaoran blinked at the angel in surprise. He even forgot to take a step forward. "Wh… what the? You're brave to ask it, angel, but surely, you don't really expect me to tell you, do you? What are you? A new angel?"

Angel Sakura nodded. Syaoran snorted. "Has heaven ran out of angels so fast that they're even sending new angels to me? How foolish of God! How dare he think of little of me!" Turning on Angel Sakura, he hissed," Have you heard of who am I?" He rolled his eyes at the affirmative shake of head. "I am the demon first-lord, Akuma Syaoran. No angel has escaped from me before. At least none escaped alive."

It was a while before Syaoran realized that Angel Sakura was no longer listening. His fierce amber eyes reflected his indignation. He did not notice that Angel Sakura's eyes had glazed over and she was staring at him without really seeing him. 

This, however, did not go entirely unnoticed. Another pair of eyes was aware of this and was watching it with mounting concern.

Reaching out a quivering hand, Angel Sakura stroked Syaoran's wing. This caught Syaoran entirely by surprise. He froze, then his face took on a look of absolute horror. He took a step back involuntarily, completely shaken. Suddenly, he grabbed Angel Sakura's hands and blasted her far away from him. He was still shaking badly. When the angel touched his wings, he had felt a strange sensation, like a tugging at his heart that caused him to feel a little light-headed. For as long as he remembered, he had prided himself on the fact that he understood himself completely. Now, for the first time, he felt uncertain about his reactions. He did not like this. 

Angel Sakura landed hard on her back, crushing her recently healed wings once again. However, the blast had knocked her out of her reverie. She groaned and rolled over, spitting out another mouthful of blood. Her hands hurt. Looking down, she realized her hands are burnt by the blast. She concentrated hard for her healing powers to activate. 

"Why did you do that, angel?"

"What did I do?"

"Touch my wing! Nobody, either in Makai or heaven, had ever dared to touch me. Why did you do it? Aren't you afraid of death?"

Angel Sakura was confused by this question. She did not remember touching his wings. For that matter, she did not even want to touch any part of him. His evil aura was enough to put her off. A little irritated, she retorted," When did I touch your wing? Why would I want to touch a demon's wings?"

Puzzled and angered by her denial, Syaoran growled," You are trying my patience, angel. Normally I would prefer my preys to have more fight. This would make the victory all the sweeter. Even though you're in no condition to fight me now, I think I could make an exception and kill you even in your condition." 

Gathering power in his palms, Syaoran focused on the angel lying on the ground. "I have the power to destroy, even an angel's soul. Don't worry, angel, it will be painless." Smiling a twisted smile, Syaoran started to draw energy from the surrounding. The ball of energy between his palms crackled dangerously. 

Angel Sakura saw this ball of energy growing larger and larger with mounting dread and fear. Her bout of anger had depleted whatever strength she had left. Suddenly, she realized how much blood she had lost. Too weak now even to crawl, she closed her eyes and waited for the blow.

Syaoran noted with satisfaction that the angel's eyes had closed in resignation to her fate. She had admitted defeat. He loved it, the feeling of superiority over these pure creatures. He loved to see the look of utter defeat just moments before he killed them. With another sickening smile, he hurled the ball of energy. 

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A/N: Am I juz amazing or wat? I juz wrote out another chapter! Note tt itz another cliffhanger. I seemed to be getting fond of it. ::hehehe:: really shld kick the habit. Shldnt keep on building my happiness on other ppl's sorrows. ::sighz:: kill me, I juz kant help it. ::grinz:: now to smth more serious. Why do I get the feeling that I'm not getting enough reviews? You guys juz dun like the story enough. Honestly, if you want to encourage the **first**-time-author-author-for-this-series to continue on her **first** fic, you shld **review and review and review**. that's the spirit man! [or woman or girl or boy] now, go and review. thanx.

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Disclaimer: CCS does not belong to me. Honestly, if you tink abt it, its not very fair. We, the fanfic writers, get to expand a little on each character. Shldnt the series be divided equally among us all? we all helped to develop the charac. and even helped to advertise the series… ::gets kicked out by clamp::


	6. The Revelation

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Sakura no Tenshi

============== 

Chapter Four – The Revelation 

Akuma Syaoran hurled the fatal ball of energy straight at Angel Sakura with deadly accuracy. Contact was inevitable. Angel Sakura bit her lips, her grip on her robe tightened. She braced herself for the blow. 

Mere moments before the ball of energy could reach the angel, a white blur darted in and out of the picture with the speed of light and soon after, the ball of energy reached its target and exploded. The whole forest shook with the impact of the explosion and dust filled the air. Demons and demon lords spread throughout the forest reared their heads towards the source of the explosion and every single demon hastened towards it.

Syaoran was unfazed by the commotion he had caused. The kekkai he built around himself was still solid. He looked disinterestedly at the place where the angel had been. Truth to be said, he did feel a sense of regret. He felt he should have played with the angel a bit more, after all, she seemed to be the only angel Heaven had sent him. Killing her off like this, he would not even get to drink her blood. It was all an act of impulse. Syaoran silently blamed himself for his rashness.

Soon, the smoke cleared. Syaoran was quite pleased to see that a huge crater had been created in the ground. He dissolved the kekkai he built around himself and flew in for a closer look. There was nothing inside the crater. He felt a little puzzled. While it was true that nobody, either an angel, mortal or a demon, could have survived this explosion, there should still be some remnants of the victim, like dried blood. "Could the explosion have been this strong?" he wondered out loud, feeling that the draining of his powers for this explosion was quite worth it. 

__

Of course not. You really thought you hit the angel?"

A tauntingly familiar voice came from somewhere above him. 

Syaoran looked up quickly, a little irritated and bewildered. His look of surprise quickly changed to one of delight.

"Tomoyo-_chan_, how nice to see you here. Please don't tell me you've been sent on this mission with that ridiculous angel," Syaoran purred, his voice is sickeningly silky. He flew up and stood face to face with the angel carrying her wounded comrade. 

Angel Tomoyo made a disgusted sound. 

__

Don't call me Tomoyo-chan, Syaoran, I don't think I know you that well. 

She flew down to an undamaged part of the forest floor and put down Angel Sakura. For safety measures, she built a good, solid kekkai around them. Angel Sakura had passed out cold. She felt like hitting her to wake her up.

Syaoran landed beside the angel. "Tomoyo-chan, surely you don't have to build a kekkai around yourself. You know I'm never going to hurt you. I'm not a bad guy." He, sneered, edging closer and closer towards the kekkai. 

Angel Tomoyo ignored him altogether. She examined Angel Sakura's injuries. She had to find the reason why Angel Sakura was not healing properly, if not, she could become a real burden. Slowly and with surprising gentleness, she turned Angel Sakura over so that she was not crushing her wings anymore. With light fingers, she began to probe at her back. The whole of her back was swollen, yet no bone was broken. Something was definitely wrong. However, it wasn't until she begin to check her wings did she discover anything amiss.

Both of Angel Sakura's wings were partially torn off, with only a few tendrils of flesh binding the upper part of the wing to her body. The right wing was slightly more serious. Angel Tomoyo frowned. Wings of an angel are normally the most easily damaged parts. Hence, the wings would heal the fastest. However, all she could see were attempts of healing. She leaned in to take a closer look. Shockingly, she discovered that there was a large stone stuck at the part where the wing was supposed to join with the body and the stone was keeping the wing from properly healing. Finally, she found where the problem was. 

Carefully, Angel Tomoyo extricated the stone. The effect was almost instantaneous. The wings start to heal. Right before her very eye, the wing grew back to the body and the swelling on her back disappeared visibly. Angel Tomoyo nodded in mild satisfaction. On second thought, she held her hand to Angel Sakura's forehead. The younger angel's forehead glowed a soft whitish light. The speed of healing doubled. Angel Tomoyo stood up and dusted herself off, thoroughly satisfied. 

"Isn't it about time you dissolve the kekkai?" Syaoran, who had being watching Angel Tomoyo silently all this time, inquired impatiently. Angel Tomoyo looked at him squarely in the eye and stepped out of the shimmering kekkai. 

__

No.

Angel Tomoyo glanced back at Angel Sakura absentmindedly. Syaoran rolled his eyes. "You know that kind of kekkai is not a barrier for me?" Angel Tomoyo nodded.

__

But your demons will have trouble getting into it. In case your non-existent brain had not thought of the possibility, I would like to inform you that your demons are arriving.

Syaoran chuckled. "Tomoyo-chan, conversing with you will really brighten up my day. But why are you protecting her? You know that even if my demons do not kill her, I will finish her off. Why bother? You don't even like her".

Angel Tomoyo did not reply, instead, she began to examine her nails critically. At length, she spoke.

"**The element of water, I draw upon my Gift. Bestowed onto me by God, I command the Gift of words. Let what I say become the truth and let the truth become the reality. Syaoran, you will not kill this angel**."

Syaoran was taken aback. For as long as he had known Angel Tomoyo, he had never saw her using her Gift before. For that matter, Angel Tomoyo looked surprised herself. 

__

Did I just say all those?

Apparently.

Wh… what happened? I wasn't even thinking about those things.

Then how-

Syaoran was cut off by a loud groaing coming from behind Angel Tomoyo. His puzzled face twisted into one of hatred and fury. "Then let's test out your powers, shall we?" He sidestepped Angel Tomoyo and started gathering powers to blast down the kekkai. Angel Tomoyo stepped protectively in front of the kekkai. 

__

If you think I'm going to stand and watching you killing another angel, you can think again.

Syaoran smirked. "You're going to fight me then?"

__

If I have to. You're not going to play with her, like you did so many other angels. At least not in front of me.

"Oh my, do I dare hope you're jealous?" The corner of his mouth twitched. Gracefully, he avoided the blast thrown at him. "You can control water. Unfortunately, there's no water in here. It's a forest. I, on the other hand, can control fire. There're plenty of fuel around." 

Narrowing her eyes, Angel Tomoyo took off after Syaoran. Forcing out some water from the damp soil, she threw it at Syaoran, who nimbly avoided it. 

__

You're wrong, there's got to be a water source nearby. I'll draw water from the ocean if I have to.

Syaoran shook his head in amusement. "Then I'll have to make sure you won't be in a condition to fight me. I will never hurt you… " Syaoran suddenly flew up from behind Angel Tomoyo and locked her hands together. Reaching out another hand, he cupped her chin. Softly, he hissed into her ear. 

"…_Mother._"

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A/N: hehe… did it end very weird? Hope its not toooo big a cliffhanger. Firstly, I wld like to apologize for the wrong labeling of the previous chapter. Its supposed to be Chapter 3, not Chapter 2. Sorry abt dat. Secondly, I wld like to thank everyone who's reviewed or encouraged me to continue in one way or another. Thank you very much. Without you guys, this chapter would not have come out so fast. [I'll try to write a longer chapter nxt time.] however, I still tink there'z not enough reviews… nvm, one kant be too picky. Its my first ccs fic, after all. anw, to everyone who wishes for a happy ending, you kan forget abt it. Well, maybe not. Lyk I said, it all depends on my mood when I write the ending. However, if there're enough reviews, I may consider writing a sequel. Note: the keywords = enough reviews. So everyone, **review**, onegai.

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Disclaimer: sadly, ccs does not belong to me. My only comfort is dat it belongs to none of u either, unless you happen to be clamp. Ahaha. Btw, does clamp know how to read English?


	7. The Escape

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Sakura no Tenshi

============= 

Chapter 5 – The Escape

Suddenly, Akuma Syaoran flew up from behind Angel Tomoyo and locked her hands together, holding her like a captive. Reaching out another hand, he cupped her chin. Angel Tomoyo struggled gallantly but the opponent was too strong. He had locked her arms and inhibited the movement of her wings. She felt weak. In a low, drawling voice, Syaoran hissed.

"I will never hurt you… _mother_."

In his arms, Syaoran felt the angel stiffen. He smirked. This was turning out better than he had expected, until Angel Tomoyo started crying. Large crystal tears fell from her eyes and sobs racked through her body. Syaoran started to panic. "What's wrong?" He started to wipe away her tears. However, before he could wipe at the tears on the angel's face, the numerous drops of tears had joined together to form a large drop of water. When Syaoran finally realized what was happening, it was too late. The large drop of water charged with astonishing speed and strength straight at him and hit him squarely on the forehead. He was knocked to the ground. 

Angel Tomoyo dried her tears and hovered over him. 

__

Bastard!

Syaoran picked himself up from the ground and flew up to meet her. "My my, such a word coming from an angel. Didn't God teach you some basic manners?" He sneered, reaching up to wipe the trickle of black blood that had fallen from his mouth. 

Angel Tomoyo bared her teeth and raised up her hand. In perfect synchronization, water rose from the damp soil and started to congregate. Unflinching, Syaoran erected a fire shield and held it in his hand. The flames licked his arm but did not burn him. In his other hand, a fireball had begun to form. Inclining his head slightly to the left, he stated, "Honestly, mother, you left me with no choice." 

In response, Angel Tomoyo deftly turned her hand so that the palm was facing outward. The drops of water which were formed from even smaller drops of water rose until they were level with Syaoran. In one quick, sudden movement, Angel Tomoyo brought her arm down firmly. At the same time, the water balls charged straight at Syaoran. 

Calmly, Syaoran evaporated the water with his shield. Then, he threw his fireball at Angel Tomoyo. Angel Tomoyo dodged it neatly. "Let's see how long you can keep this up, when you have no more water to command."

__

I will use my blood if I have to. I will not let you win.

"Why? To protect _her_?" Syaoran pointed at Angel Sakura. "Come on, she's not worth your protection. It's so obvious that you dislike her. Why fight against your son for her?"

__

True, I dislike her a lot. However, I hate you. I've never admitted you're my son. I never gave birth to you!

"Then whose angelic essence do I have inside? Don't think I'm so ignorant. I'm aware of my own body. I'm aware of who I am. I've found you, mother. One day, I'm going to find father and when that day comes, you will draw your last breath. So until the time comes, I will not let you die, nor will I let you forget, that you have me as your son." Syaoran's lips twisted cruelly. 

Angel Tomoyo was livid with anger. They began to engage in a contest of mutual glaring. At least that was what it looked like to the demons that were beginning to arrive. They saw their leader in mental combat with a powerful angel in mid-air. None of them wanted to disturb him. Below them, on the ground, they saw a strong kekkai housing an unconscious angel. They started to hex at the kekkai. 

Unknown to all the other demons, both Syaoran and Angel Tomoyo had began to draw energy from the surround, preparing for the final showdown. Angel Tomoyo was concentrating hard while Syaoran was well at ease. They both began to glow. Angel Tomoyo started to emit a pale green light and Syaoran was covered by a dark green light. The first cackles of raw energy had appeared between them. 

On the ground, the kekkai protecting Angel Sakura was starting to show fine crack lines. Strong as it was, it could not withstand the hexing by so many demons all at once. Inside the kekkai, Angel Sakura had finally healed enough to regain consciousness. As with all angels, her mind woke before her body did. Even though she could not see, she knew that she was lying on the ground. For a moment, she could not comprehend why she was lying on the cold hard ground. Then, she remembered she was in Chijou. Her eyes flew open to see huge ugly beasts surrounding her. 

She screamed, a loud piercing scream. It broke the concentration of both parties that were currently fighting in the air. Irritated and annoyed beyond description, both looked down to see what had happened. 

Angel Sakura finally realized that she had wings. She flew out from the top of the kekkai just as the kekkai collapsed and like and arrow, shot straight up. Watching her, Syaoran's mouth dropped open. Angel Tomoyo rolled her eyes at the young, inexperienced angel. However, taking this opportunity, she raced after Angel Sakura.

__

She needs to work on her flying skills, Angel Tomoyo thought as she began to catch up with Angel Sakura. Reaching out a hand, she managed to grasp the young angel's wing-end feathers. She gave a tremendous pull. With a surprised and painful yelp, Angel Sakura's altitude decreased significantly. Angel Tomoyo held on tightly to her robe to keep her from falling. Snapped out of his reverie, Syaoran and his demon lords had begun to chase after the pair of angels. 

Dragging Angel Sakura behind her, Angel Tomoyo tried to make a run for the heavenly gate. They narrowly missed the fireball thrown at them. Realizing that it was hopeless, Angel Tomoyo whirled around to meet them. Very quickly, they were surrounded by five demons. Syaoran stepped forward, both of his hands holding fireballs. Angel Sakura gulped several times. Her emerald eyes reflected perfectly her confusion and fear.

Angel Tomoyo regarded Syaoran through narrowed eyes. Her mind worked desperately. _There's only one way now_, she realized, _even if it will draw so much of my powers_. Giving a sideways glance to the angel holding onto her for dear life, she really felt that she was making too big a sacrifice. Still, it would the only way _they_ could get out alive…

Holding Angel Sakura protectively in one arm, Angel Tomoyo started to draw intricate patterns in the air with the other hand. Syaoran was puzzled by her behaviour. When he finally realized what she was doing, she was almost done with the spell. 

"NO!" Syaoran lurched forward, hurling both of his fireballs straight at the pair. However, Angel Tomoyo was quicker. With one firm slice through the air, she finished the spell.

"DISAPPEAR!" She yelled, flying upwards to dodge the blow. 

Right before the demons' very eyes, the pair of angels vanished. Even their scents were gone. It was as if the angels had never existed in the world. Puzzled, all the demons turned to their leader. Syaoran looked as if he was steaming. Scrambling to get out of the ways, the demons managed to avoid the shower of fireballs their distraught leader was throwing all over the place.

Eyes blazing, Syaoran turned in mad circles. Try as he might, he could not pick up the scent of angels, much less see where they were. Flying up to the clouds, he vented his fury by blasting a fiery trail through the clouds. He finally clamed down_. Damn those angels. It's a disappearing spell! How could I not realize? They couldn't be too far gone yet. I could still stop them._

Suddenly with horror, he realized that he had wasted precious time. Intertwining his last three fingers and forming a diamond shape with his second fingers and thumbs, he began to chant. As his chanting increased in volume, a small black net began to materialize in the space formed between his second fingers and thumbs. With time, it grew progressively more solid. 

Syaoran's chanting grew louder and louder. The demons could only look at their leader fearfully. Finally, Syaoran seemed ready. He stopped chanting. He smiled, a smile filled with malice. 

"Release," he said softly, pulling his hand apart slowly. The small black net began to expand and extend where Syaoran's fingers led it. It grew longer and longer, until it was as long as Syaoran could stretch out his arms. He blew at it gently. It became detached from his fingers and slowly drifted away. Like a spider web, just a thousand times stronger. 

The black net attached itself onto a fluffy cloud and spread over it, covering it entirely. Syaoran watched in satisfaction and mild amazement as the black net spread like filth over the entire layer of cloud. He smirked. This would prevent them from reaching the sanctuary of heaven. Crocking his head slightly to the left, he whispered," Disappearing spells are such suckers of energy. And you're doing it for two people." His smile widened. "Let's see who can keep this up longer, shall we, mother?"

Even the demons shuddered to hear his laughter.

~*~*~*~*~

__

Flap your wings, will you? 

Angel Tomoyo snapped impatiently at Angel Sakura as they began to drop lower and lower due to the decreased frequency of the flapping of her own wings.

__

Gomen nasai. 

Angel Sakura flushed and started flapping her own wings. She was dying to ask a thousand questions but she could see that the older angel was already extremely irritated. She didn't think her sempai would appreciate her inquisitiveness now. She resolved to keep quiet, but…

__

Anou… Angel Tomoyo-sama, which way should we be going?

Angel Tomoyo rolled her eyes with obvious annoyance. Even stupidity has its limits.

__

We're escaping from a group of bloodthirsty demons using only an extremely power draining disappearing spell. Where do you think we should escape to?

Um… heaven?

Isn't that pretty obvious? Now shut up and concentrate on flying.

H… hai.

Angel Sakura wanted to duck her head in embarrassment. She felt sure that the other angel would think of her as a complete idiot now. She changed direction and started flying upwards. She had to flap harder and harder as the wind was constantly trying to blow her off course. After a few minutes of hard flying, Angel Tomoyo finally interrupted her.

__

Don't you think it would be easier to fly with the wind instead of against it?

But I thought we're flying upwards, not southwards…

Yes but we can fly upwards while flying southwards right? It would be less tiring for you but if you choose to struggle now, suit yourself.

Gomen.

Angel Tomoyo wanted to scream. Not only were all her plans upset, she had ended up in this horribly weak state. She shot a dirty look at Angel Sakura. She gulped nervously. _At least I would be in heaven soon and wouldn't have to put up with her much longer_, Angel Tomoyo thought, feeling a bit more comforted. That was when they saw the huge black net slithering its way across the entire sky. Angel Sakura's jaw dropped.

Angel Tomoyo started, then blinked furiously. _How dare him do this? How dare him!_ Fuming, Angel Tomoyo pulled Angel Sakura's hand and led her downwards. 

__

What do we do now?

Use your brains and think. We can't get back to heaven now so we need some place that's favourable to us. We're going to find a water source, a river or something. Keep your eyes open.

Hai.

Having spot the blue meandering ribbon, Angel Tomoyo changed their course again. [do I make them sound like migrating birds?] They landed gracefully on one bank of the river. Angel Tomoyo dropped the disappearing spell, however, she still had to mask their auras. It was getting quite tiring. After a little drink of water, she flew up a tree and sat on it. Angel Sakura looked up at her shyly. The silence was becoming awkward.

__

All right, ask what you want to ask. I'll try to answer to the best of my abilities. We have nothing to do here anyway.

Angel Sakura's anxious face broke into a dazzling smile. Angel Tomoyo was thoroughly disgusted. Much to her reluctance, she began to fill in on what had happened after Syaoran had nearly killed Angel Sakura.

~*~*~*~*~

"Just because we're still trying to find the angels doesn't mean we can slack in what we're supposed to do in the first place. I would expect the shields to yield much more when I next inspect." 

Syaoran hovered over his demons, his eyes roaming over the rest of Nagasaki. The Dukes were right. There was much power in this city. Suddenly, he found that he did not want to present this power to the Dukes. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, he decided to put this thought out of his head until at least after he had found the angels.

__

Damn it, where are the angels?

~*~*~*~*~

__

Wow, you saved my life.

Angel Tomoyo sighed inwardly and rolled her eyes.

__

Well, I suppose I did. With much regret too.

__

Oh my, you're my life saver!

Will you please stop stating the obvious?

But… but you saved my life!

Angel Tomoyo stormed off towards the river. She needed some cold water. _Syaoran was right about one thing_, she realized, _this angel is ridiculous._ Sighing deeply, she turned to face the other angel. 

__

Look, this is not important. Angels save each other's lives all the time. The important thing now is to think about how we are going to get back to heaven. The rest we discuss later, okay?

"Okay!" Angel Sakura said bright. Too brightly, Angel Tomoyo decided. She felt all her dislikes returning. She began to doubt whether she should let this angel return safely to heaven. However, her original plan had been completely disrupted. _All thanks to that stupid Syaoran and this baka angel_, Angel Tomoyo thought angrily. Her mind started to turn a few rounds here and a few rounds there. A plan was forming and she found all her anger evaporating. Turning with a bright smile to Angel Sakura, she clasped her hands.

__

Oh, we forgot something important.

What is it?

Your First Mission, of course. Surely you don't want to return the first time in failure, do you?

Angel Sakura gasped and bit her lips. She had completely forgotten about that. Noticing her troubled face, Angel Tomoyo winked assuringly. 

Don't worry, I'll help you. Your First Mission will be a success, but that will also mean that we have to stay in Chijou a little longer. Is that okay with you? 

Angel Sakura thought for a minute. Honestly, she preferred her life over her pride. However, the look the other angel was giving her, she couldn't possibly say no. After all, she had saved her life once. She couldn't be endangering it again. 

Smiling in happiness and relief at Angel Tomoyo's friendly attitude, she nodded her head firmly. "Of course."

__

Good.

Very good, Angel Tomoyo smiled slyly. Maybe her plans were not ruined, after all.

--------------------------------------------------------------- 

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A/N: Waa. Tomoyo is sooo evil. ::grinz:: don't u juz love the evil side of her? anw, author decides not to be lazy. she's going to respond to the reviewers one by one. diz is a first and cld well possibly be the last so appreciate it!

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Replies to reviews:

Luna: yar, I sure hope its original too. honestly, u dint really tink I wld turn it into another Syaoran/Tomoyo fic, do u?

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TakaoRyo: hey bud, thanx for reviewing. wat makes u tink dat ur review will make me write faster? it all depends on my mood, ya noe ;)

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Kairinu: I tot its weird too when I was proof reading [yar I noe its quite surprising to know dat the story is actually proofread. ::cries:: I noe I din do a gd job] I'll try to make the twist less shocking nxt time.

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anime_freak: oh girl, thanx. Its bcoz of u ppl dat makes me wanna continue. ::glomps::

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loveangelli: thanx a LOT. Hm… about not killing them… well, I'll tink abt it. see how the ending turns out first. If its really necessary, I'll write a sequel. No fear.

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TNP: thanx thanx thanx. Dun praise me so much. Im oreadi floating. ;) is diz chapter long enough for ya? ::winks::

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kinomoto ='.'=: hehe, there may be a lot more diz kind of tings in the story later on. Thanx for reviewing.

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AnimeObsessionFantasy: Oh man, you're one of my regular reviewers! ::hugz:: thank you for following my fic until now and leave reviews at every chapter! Hope I've not disappointed u :) maybe the story is going to get weirder and weirder [not tooooo weird, im still sane] but hope u'll continue to leave reviews for me and brighten up my day _ :0)

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Maki-kino-kiko: u're one of my regular reviewers too! pls noe dat I do appreciate it very much. Hope u've enjoyed my story diz far. Dun worry, I'll continue to work on it and update very very fast ok? Hehe, diz chapter is an example.

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magiabruxa: actualli I kant believe she's his mother too. lol. a bit confusing rite? Nvm, it'll all work out sooner or later. [I hope, cross my fingers] thank you very much for reviewing almost every chapter ;) didn't tink I dint notice, did u? hehe, anw, thanx for all ur praises. I dun tink I deserve dat much. Thank you though, not dat I dun appreciate it. it made my day. Quite self-delusioning. Lolx. 

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rach: thanx for review but u shld really STOP PRESSING ME FOR UPDATES!!! Ur reviews made up for all dat though :)

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irishstar18: sorry I dint wait for u to review the 6th chapter. Diz chapter juz came out… blame it on my inspiration. [somehow I dun tink u'll blame it] anw, thanx for the numerous times u've reviewed. im really glad u lyk the story. Hope u find the twists interesting. 

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200: lolx, I'll try n pretend its 200 reviews. ::yeah:: so now I haf 256 reviews. ::whistle:: neat! Thanx. Ur review really cheered me up, esp when I tot my chapter wasn't gd datz y im not getting so many reviews :0)

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A/N (2): Now, thank you to all those who's reviewed this story so far and sorry if I'm not able to thank each and everyone of u individually. Pls note that ur reviews are deeply appreciated. However, I wld lyk to thank a special person. 

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Cyootkitty: You're my first reviewer!!!!! u've NO idea how much ur review meant to me :) I love u sooo much ;] anw, I hope u're reading diz and dat u're still reading my fic. u're really REALLY wonderful coz u're the first to review my fic! yes, feel special, u have the right to ;)

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A/N (3): ::sighz:: finally. I didn't realize I had so many reviewers. sweatdrops. And there're still so many ppl I hafnt thank. Ahh, can only blame it on myself, wait till the 6th chapter to do diz kind of ting. Tiring, really tiring. Hope I din spell ani of ur names wrongly [aft all, its nearly 2 am. Shld be a bit more forgiving] thank you once again to all those who's reviewed but I din thank individually. I'll try to do it the nxt chapter too. no promises though. The only ting I kan promise is dat I'll thank everyone individually in the last chapter/epilogue. So diz is a rare chance. However, the more u review, the better I will remember u, so **review**, onegai.

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Disclaimer: Tired… I wanna sleep…Zzzz. Ok fine, CCS and all her characters dun belong to me… Zzzzz


	8. The Sanctuary

=============

Sakura no Tenshi 

============= 

Chapter Six – The Sanctuary

~*~*~*~*~

__

// Horrified, she turned to flee. Behind her, Angel Sujito's body had started to fade while remaining still suspended in midair. The only thing keeping the body intact was the fast disappearing angelic essence. The blood had already been drained. The look on her attacker's face was one of pure ecstasy as he absorbed the grey angelic essence into his own body. His hands were already stained by angels' blood. He smirked.

Tears were running down her cheeks as she felt Angel Sujito's body falling further and further into the vast emptiness. Risking a look backwards, she was the sole witness of her sempai's body dissolve into a single feather as all the angelic essence was drained. She choked back a cry as the snow-white feather drifted down with all the loneliness and grief of a soul that had ceased to be. It soon fell out of sight. She could no longer contain her sobs as she turned back and raced forward, determined at least to save her soul. At least, there would be one who survived.

She would never forget the day it rained feathers. //

Angel Tomoyo sat up suddenly, drenched in her own sweat. She stared straight ahead, unblinking and panting profusely. It took quite a while before her mind registered the fact that it was in the middle of the night. Her breathings slowed gradually. However, she still could not shake the feeling of absolute terror. Her mind was a complete blank. She could not remember what happened to cause her such fear. Touching a hand to her face, she realized it was wet with tears.

A rustling of clothes. Angel Tomoyo was instantly alert. Snapping her fingers, the clouds parted. Moonlight flooded the place. She saw Angel Sakura coming towards her. annoyed and embarrassed by her current state, she turned away. 

"Who killed that angel?" Angel Sakura asked softly, flying up the tree she was sitting on. Despite the gentleness, there was steel in her voice that sent a shiver down the older angel's spine. 

__

Eh? The darkness hid her surprised face. 

__

What angel? No angel was killed.

Angel Tomoyo tried to inject some venom into that simple statement. Raising shakily to her feet, she turned to face the moon, indicating that the topic was closed. 

"But that was what I saw. You're crying very hard. Another angel was being killed by someone. Her… her blood was totally drained. Her face was very white. There's no blood in her body. _There's not even a single drop of blood in her body!_" Angel Sakura's voice raised in agitation. Tears had begun to well up in her own eyes. 

Staring speculatingly down at the angel sitting at her feet, [a/n: they're on a branch, tomoyo is standing up and sakura is sitting down] Angel Tomoyo was starting to get a weird sense of comprehension though she understood nothing. _What is she talking about?_ She wondered silently, frustrated. Suddenly, the cause of her emotions just now and what Angel Sakura was trying to tell her finally hit her. Bits and fragments of her dream, nightmare more likely, began to come back to her. Her eyes glazed over as she remembered the details, looking almost as if she was in a trance. 

__

It was…

She realized something. Reaching down to grab the front of her robes, Angel Tomoyo pulled Angel Sakura to her feet forcefully. 

__

How did you know about this?

Clear suspicion was on her face. Something dawned upon her. 

__

Unless…

Her eyes widened in shock and wonder. A hand covered her open mouth.

__

…you're a yumemi! A dreamgazer!

"I'm a what? Dreamgazer?"

__

Impossible! How could she have such powers? Angel Tomoyo found that she had to sit down. She was feeling giddy. 

"Angel Tomoyo-sama, are you all right?" Angel Sakura reached out for the older angel. She flinched from her touch. A little dejected, she withdrew her hands and let her concern show only through her emerald eyes.

Angel Tomoyo closed her eyes. _How could she?_ She thought hatefully. She had to find out more about this. She turned to the younger angel with a grave expression.

__

Tell me, what have you seen in your dreams?

~*~*~*~*~

Akuma Syaoran stood on top of a small hill with his eyes closed. He was concentrating so hard that a kekkai had formed unconsciously around him. 

~/~ _Syaoran…_ ~\~

~/~ _Yes, my lord._ ~\~

~/~ _Soon, it will be time…_ ~\~

~/~ _Time for what, my lord?_ ~\~

~/~ _The whole of Makai will be destroyed. Then reborn from the flames of the phoenix. The time calls. Do not fail in this mission. It's crucial._ ~\~

~/~ _It will be as you wished my lord._ ~\~

The kekkai slowly dissolved as his concentration faded. His brows creased in annoyance, Syaoran got up slowly. He was seriously getting tired of this, talking to the demon overlord, Naagasushite and listening to his stupid riddles. Syaoran slowly walked down the hill. With each passing moment, he felt the protective shield around Nagasaki weakening. It was time to listen to reports.

It hadn't occurred to him that if he had tried hard enough, he wouldn't need to listen to his orders anymore.

~*~*~*~*~

__

From now on, you will sleep away from me. 

Angel Tomoyo-sama, what exactly is a yumemi?

That's for me to know and for you to find out. Now go to sleep. 

…

Why haven't you moved?

I'm scared of that dream… the one with the angel dying. 

…

Gomen nasai. I don't think I'll sleep tonight.

Fine, suit yourself. Don't say I didn't tell you. Tomorrow will be a tiring day. I will begin your training.

Hai. Oyasumi Angel Tomoyo-sama.

…

~*~*~

"Ohayo, Angel Tomoyo-sama!" Angel Sakura called out cheerfully as she watched the older angel slowly opening her eyes, which then closed in irritation. Grudgingly getting to her feet, Angel Tomoyo flew down from her tree to the river to wash up. 

Unexpectedly, she sent a jet of water straight at the surprised Angel Sakura. Unable to dodge in time, the angel was thoroughly drenched. However, her emerald eyes showed no hints of anger. Instead, she began to look a little guilty. 

Angel Tomoyo rolled her eyes. _Gosh, she's angry with herself because she thought she did something to make me angry. God, how could you have chosen such an angel?_

__

Next time something like this happened, use your powers to block it. 

But I thought I don't have any powers. 

That's not true anymore. You're a yumemi. Now we have to find out your element and you can draw strength from it. My element is water. I can control the movement of water and use it in defence and attack, like what I just did. What's your element?

I don't know. Could it be water too?

What do you mean you don't know? Which element makes you most comfortable? No it couldn't be water. I would have felt it. Now look into your heart. Which element suits you the best?

Angel Sakura tried to do as she was told. However, she discovered that she liked water, felt comfortable with wind, didn't mind fire and felt safe with earth. She looked at the other angel for help. Angel Tomoyo looked mildly disgusted. She felt like an idiot. 

__

All right, how about trying it out. I couldn't keep up this shield much longer. When that time comes, you will have to look to your element to protect you. If your element is not strong enough, you can forget about going back to heaven. Now try to create a fireball.

An hour later, they still couldn't figure out what Angel Sakura's element was. Angel Tomoyo wanted to scream. _The baka_, she thought, _couldn't create fireballs, couldn't manipulate water, couldn't control wind and couldn't shake the Earth. Somebody tell me why I'm helping her in the first place_. Looking up the sky in a universal plea for patience, she took a deep breath to calm herself. Angel Sakura looked thoroughly miserable.

__

Now I'm going to attack you with water. Try your best to defend. Try to let your natural instinct take over so that your element will show. 

Hai.

On the count of one, two…

Before she could say three, Angel Tomoyo had already began to attack. 

"KiAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

Half a minute later, Angel Tomoyo touched down lightly beside the battered Angel Sakura. Without battering an eyelid, Angel Tomoyo turned against the badly wounded angel. 

__

So weak... If you're not going to help yourself, I see no reason to help you. 

In response, Angel Sakura coughed up some blood. Disgusted, Angel Tomoyo walked off, leaving the younger angel gasping for air. 

Lying on her side in her bloodstained robe, Angel Sakura drifted in and out of consciousness. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

__

/The world is starting to dim…

Who is switching off all the lights?

I want to touch your face…

But you're just too far away…

Just out of my reach…

Like the stars in the sky…

I can only stare at you…

And try my best not to forget…

The feeling I once had…

Let me rest now…

I'm just so tired…

Closing my eyes…

The world is starting to dim…/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

~* & *~ Angel Sakura-chan… ~* & *~

~* & *~ Angel Sakura-chan! ~* & *~

~* & *~ You can't sleep any longer. ~* & *~

~* & *~ Eh? Angel Kaho-sama… but I'm just so tired… so tired ~* & *~

~* & *~ I know. Just look into your heart… and find the key. Once you unlock it, it will be all over. Just… find the key… in your heart. ~* & *~

~* & *~ The key? In my heart… the key. Thank you, Angel Kaho-sama. ~* & *~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

As her healing powers activated, Angel Sakura began to sober up. _Was it a dream? I just heard Angel Kaho telling me to look into my heart and find the key. How weird._ She closed her eyes and put her hand to her heart. She began to concentrate and to her surprise, she began to feel something. Her emotions… joy, sadness, love, sorrow, disappointment, shame, contentment, fear. There was no hatred, or anger. She found many interesting things. And then, there it is. A key, a very big one. Hesitantly, she reached out and hand… and grasped it. Slowly, she turned it. She gasped from the shock and her world went black, once again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

__

/The world is starting to dim…

Who is switching off all the lights?

I want to touch your face…

But you're just too far away…

Just out of my reach…

Like the stars in the sky…

I can only stare at you…

And try my best not to forget…

The feeling I once had…

Let me rest now…

I'm just so tired…

Closing my eyes…

The world is starting to dim…/

~*~*~*~*~

Angel Tomoyo quickened her pace and looked back fugitively once in a while. In her right hand was a tiny bundle wrapped up by some leaves. Pale pink light was seeping through the cracks in the wrapping. It was also vibrating quite violently. She could feel the demon lord nearby. She was about to reach her destination. 

Hiding among the leaves in the tree, Angel Tomoyo saw the demon lord approaching. She smiled secretly to herself. Opening her right hand slightly, she muttered a spell softly. The tiny ball of pink light, which was struggling just moments ago, grew sluggish then stopped moving altogether. She tilted her hand slightly and the ball of pink light dropped from the tree slowly. 

The demon lord obviously sensed something. He paused in his tracks and sniffed hard. Then he used his foul tongue to lick his mouth and headed for the angelic essence. Chuckling silently, Angel Tomoyo took off from the tree she was hiding in. Now, the demon lord would be able to track Angel Sakura wherever she went, even, to heaven. 

~*~*~*~*~

__

So? Should we continue our training or are you not up to it?

Gomen nasai, Angel Tomoyo-sama. I will try my best this time. 

Angel Tomoyo rolled her eyes. Gathering some water in her hands, she fashioned it into a sword. Holding it in battle-like position, she motioned towards the younger angel. Angel Sakura responded quickly. In one hand, she created a fire-shield and held it in front of her. In the other hand, she too, fashioned a sword out of water. Angel Tomoyo's jaw fell.

__

Are… are you a master of all the elements?

Yes I think so. 

Show me. 

Angel Sakura stamped her right foot. A crack line in the shape of a circle appeared around her. She stamped her foot again. All the earth within 10 metres of the crack line collapsed. The only area that hadn't fell was the small patch of earth she was standing on. Angel Tomoyo was impressed, but she was not about to show it. 

__

Can you create a tornado?

I can control wind. 

I'm asking you, can or cannot. You just have to answer that.

Gomen. I haven't tried it but I should think so. 

Sou ka. I think we may be able to get out of here sooner than I expected. Honestly speaking, I can't maintain this shield another day. All right, you see the black net that was still covering the heavenly gate? As long as you can create a tornado and tear that net apart, we can make a run for it. Do you think you can do it?

I will try my best.

Fine.

~*~*~*~*~ 

Syaoran had a bad feeling about today. He had been feeling like that for the whole day already. Yet, nothing had happened. He sighed, a genuine sigh and went back to his work. He had demons to take care of. 

Suddenly, the sky grew very dark. Surprised, Syaoran looked up. He nearly fainted. A huge tornado is descending from the sky rapidly, tearing away the black net that he had built. The demons beneath him began to panic. He cast a worried eye upwards. This was definitely unnatural. 

Then he caught sight of the two white figures fluttering in the wind, trying to fly upwards. His eyes widened in surprise, then he realized. "Tenshi no baka!" he snarled, trying to fly after them. He found out why they're finding it so difficult to fly. 

~*~*~*~*~

__

Hurry up! Flap your wings hard! 

Angel Tomoyo was literally dragging Angel Sakura with her. The younger angel was utterly exhausted. Gritting her teeth and using the last of her reserves, Angel Sakura gave a final push [sounds like giving birth rite?]. 

~*~*~*~*~

Syaoran watched with dismay as the two angels disappeared with a soft white light_. They've gone through the heavenly gate_, he thought bitterly. _The gate is only visible to angels. Damn it_. He was not going to accept his defeat. He felt like setting the whole forest on fire. 

The tornado slowly faded away as the source of its power disappeared. Syaoran knew it was over. To think that an angel had actually escaped from him. To think that that angel was a stupidly weak angel who did not even know how to defend herself. It made his blood boil.

"SAKURA! You're NEVER going to get away from me! I will hunt you FOREVER until the day I find you. You will never be safe, EVER. DAMN YOU! ARGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Syaoran vented his anger on the lesser demons. The casualties were high that day.

~*~*~*~*~

Angel Sakura shuddered as the demon's words came through. Then, as the heavenly gate closed behind her, she started to breathe normally. Seeing the vast heaven stretched out in front of her, Angel Sakura almost cried with relief. She was in heaven now, the sanctuary. She was safe, or so it seemed. 

~*~*~*~*~

Angel Tomoyo felt slight relief when she went through the heavenly gate. However, the fun was just starting for her. Now, she could sit back and enjoy the show. She wouldn't have to put up with this angel much longer. She's actually a yumemi and master of all the elements… that's quite powerful. All the more she shouldn't stay and threaten her position. Angel Tomoyo dusted herself off and headed for the purification room, dragging Angel Sakura with her. After all, the fun was only starting. 

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A/N: Woa. Long wait rite? k sorry, I can explain [I hope]. Anw, I was away for camp for one whole week. [den they give u veri little food and mistreat u n all dat. Kk, juz kidding. The food was quite gd but I still lost a lot of weight] den I had high fever. Quite sad rite? ::haiz:: poor author me… den ppl still pressing me for updates. ::glare at the offending parties:: nvm, I shall be hardworking. Anw, diz was meant to be a christmas present. Not bad rite? a new chappie for christmas. Sorry, it's the best I kan afford. Im currently officially bankrupt. Anw, thanx to everyone who's reviewed and everyone who's eagerly waiting for diz chappie. Hope it came out well coz it was lyk written before I go for camp, after I came back and when I was having fever. So I duno if my brains r functioning properly or not. Anw, so diz is it. happy reading. =)

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Disclaimer: CCS does not belong to me. Are you sure abt dat? Considering the no. of words I spent on it… oh man, y does nothing belong to me… honestly, if I own CCS, I wldnt be neck deep in debts. I wld be drawing more Sakuras and Syaorans so dat I kan sell to more ppl and get more money. ::sighz:: im dreaming again. Datz the work of clamp. Damn it. 


	9. The Prelude

==============

Sakura no Tenshi 

============== 

Chapter Seven – The Prelude

~*~*~*~*~

"Welcome back from your first mission! Is it a success?" Angel Kaho greeted her brightly the moment she stepped into the purification room in heaven. 

"Don't even talk about it," Angel Sakura replied tersely, struggling to keep her eyelids open. 

"Is it that bad?" Angel Kaho's …. eyes clouded over with concern as she examined the young and tired angel. 

Angel Sakura smiled wanly and nodded. "Angel Kaho-sama, thank you for your help."

Angel Kaho's eyebrow raised in a silent question. "Wha… Oh that, that was nothing. You're a yumemi. It's much easier for me that way. I'm a telepath, level 5, which means I can control whether I want to read people's thoughts or not. Unfortunately, I'm not yet level 6, I can't read thoughts trans-realm." Seeing Angel Sakura's questioning look, she continued, "That means I can't read the thoughts of angels who are in Chijou or when I'm in Chijou, I can't read the thoughts of those in heaven."

"Oh." Angel Sakura tried to digest this piece of information as the older angel prepared for the purification process.

"Angel Kaho?"

"Nani?"

"What's a yumemi?"

Angel Kaho turned to face her. "Let me see," she scratched her chin thoughtfully. "A yumemi is someone who can see the future through her dreams, or move in and out of the different dreamscapes of herself and others around her. A powerful yumemi, or an extremely gifted one, can do both. There're no levels for yumemi. It's a complete gift, there's no training for it. You're really gifted to be a yumemi."

"Sou ka." _Why won't she tell me?_ Bowing in her head tiredly, she tried to blink back the tears. Angel Kaho reached out and hand and lifted in her chin. Gazing at the beautiful face, Angel Sakura felt a blush coming on. With the other hand, Angel Kaho wiped away the tears that had spilled down. "Let's start, shall we?"

~*~*~*~*~

The demon's tongue rolled out as he caught sight of the gleaming substance. He felt acidic saliva dripping down. Whatever it was, it was giving out too tempting a fragrance to be ignored. He went after it greedily. 

His eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in pleasure. In one big gulp, he swallowed it. It sent shocks of ecstasy through his entire body. He dropped down on his knees, crushed down by the sensations he felt. His large scaly hands grabbed a handful of soil and clenched it tightly. He opened his mouth but no screams came out. His bloody red eyes squeezed shut then opened suddenly. Brilliant colours flashed through his eyes, changing them different hues of magnificent colours. The soil was squeezed into powder as the feelings in his body intensified. He still could not scream out loud. 

Mere minutes had passed but it seemed like an eternity. Finally, he rose up from his crouching position, a new demon. Large black wings had sprouted from his back. Huge muscles bulged all over his body. New blood cruised through his veins, bringing greater powers, greater abilities. He opened his mouth and hot flames of fire shot out. He gave one mighty roar and with a powerful flap of the wings, rose straight up the sky for the dwelling of angels, otherwise known as heaven.

~*~*~*~*~

Angel Tomoyo felt thoroughly relaxed after her purification section. Wearing a knowing smile, she hovered near the heavenly gate. She knew that something will happen soon and most likely, she would be needed. Angel Hitono's esteem of her would, if possible, go even higher. She chuckled at this pleasant thought. All that was left was the waiting. She waited.

~*~*~*~*~

Syaoran sat on the hilltop, gazing down at the trees, at the big crater that he had created. The earth hadn't even begun to heal. _Such a big contrast to hers_, Syaoran mused silently. He caught what he was thinking and a moment of undisguised shock passed through his face. As much as he hated to admit, the fact were staring at him right in the face. He was thinking about her so much that he couldn't understand himself anymore. He felt disgusted with his thoughts. He resolved to think about something else. 

Ever since she had escaped to heaven, he found that he could not stop thinking about her. The most horrifying thing was, not all thoughts were bad. More than once, he had found himself thinking how white and smooth her skin was and how crystal clear her voice was. Not to mention that every time she was frightened, she looked so vulnerable that he felt an irrational and overwhelming protectiveness for her. He did not understand this. He did not understand it at all. He certainly had never experienced anything resembling this feeling he had for her. It was not the bloodthirsty thoughts he had towards all other angels, not the perverse hatred he felt for his mother, not the revolted contempt he had never bothered to hide when dealing with his demons. It was something else, something equally strong. He was not sure if he liked the direction all these was leading to. He had to think about something else. 

In his shrewd mind well tempered by cruelty, he had detected a different vibe coming from his master, Akuma Naagasushite. It was as if something exciting was going to happen soon. Of course Naagasushite always claimed that but in the past, all Syaoran had felt from him was a quiet reserve and a shocking amount of patience. However, recently, Syaoran could pick up some scents of tense anticipation, as much as his master tried to hide it. He couldn't help being excited as well. He expected there would be a blood war. _Preferably with a lot of angels killed_, his mind added fervently. _Wonder if she will be among the fallen ones_, he thought absentmindedly and nearly slapped himself. Hadn't he promised himself to stop thinking about her? He stood up resolutely. 

Looking at the horizon, with far end of the forest burnt by the setting sun, his sub-consciousness registered a beauty that his conscious mind would never see. It calmed him. In a voice so soft he wasn't even sure if it were his, he uttered a single word. 

"Sakura…"

And it drifted with the wind. 

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A/N: really really sorry for the long wait. It was quite long, wasn't it? I tink it's the longest so far. N the story was terribly short somemore. Well, lyk the title said, it's a prelude. A prelude to wat? For dat u'll have the read the nxt chapter. ::grinz:: anw, hope u've noticed dat I've changed the title to 'Sakura no Tenshi Part I', which means dat there'll be a part two and if I feel lyk it, a part III as well. Anw, enough of dat. I tink I shld explain y diz chapter came out so late. My sch started!!!! Horrors. Then the stupid tchers piled hmwk aft. hmwk on us, without any regard for our poor heart, which cld not take so much after the long relaxing holiday. ::sighz:: weren't tchers children once? It certainly don't look dat way. I tink the later chapters wld come out slower too but I wld neva stop diz story. So pls wait. Thank you and thank you very much. Well, one way to make me write faster is of course to **review**. so go one everyone. Please review. thanx. 

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Disclaimer: CCS does not belong to me. But I own the storyline. Me me me alone. Its mine… mine… my precc-iousss…

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A/N (2): oh yes! Did anyone watch Lord of the Rings The Return of the King? I absolutely love it. ::grinz:: =D


	10. The Banishment

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Sakura no Tenshi 

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Chapter Eight – The Banishment

Angel Sakura was still in the garden when it happened. Recently, she had found a reclusive little corner in the heavenly garden, a place where sakura trees bloom all year round. More than once, she had fallen asleep on a bed of sakura petals. 

The meeting with Angel Hitono-sama did not go that badly as well. At least she was able to tell her who was the demon in charge of it, if not pinpoint their exact purpose. However, she had been surprised when a legion of angels was sent down, not a single demon was left. All the lesser demons had vanished, leaving only the trademark clumsy traces of the fact that they had once been there. Their leader, Akuma Syaoran, certainly was not left behind. She still shuddered at the memory of the auburn-eyed boy. 

Most of the celestial residents, namely the angels, were surprised by their lack of missions lately. It seemed that Makai had finally decided to lie quite for a while. This was rather hard to conceive for all the angels. The majority was completely certain that the demons were most definitely planning something big. The minority, or rather the more informed ones, seemed to have a hunch, a right one at that, that an internal strife was finally breaking out in Makai. However, no matter the cause, it was generally true that all the angels were quite uneasy about this quietness. Angel Sakura was no exception. 

Getting back to the story, Angel Sakura was actually sound asleep in the heavenly garden when it happened. She was awakened by shouts of anger and surprise of the other angels. She leapt to her feet in alarm, all sleep gone from her beautiful emerald eyes. She was vaguely aware that she had yet another dream. However, as with all the other ones, she couldn't seem to remember what it was. 

She had confessed this to Angel Kaho. To say that the older angel was mildly surprised was a terrible understatement. Both were fully aware of the fact that Angel Sakura was a yumemi, perhaps one more knowledgeable than the other about the implications, however, it was clear that a yumemi was supposed to remember her dreams. That was the whole point. Both had investigated but neither had come to a satiable conclusion. Nevertheless, Angel Kaho had a nagging feeling that someone was tempering with Angel Sakura's magic. However, the evidences were too little. 

Anyway, Angel Sakura was very surprised to see that nearly all the angels were panicking. Most had taken to their wings and some athletic ones were on their feet but they were all going towards the same direction. They all moved towards the heavenly gate. It was an awesome spectacle. So many beautiful angels were flying [or running in some cases] in one direction. The sky was clouded over with white bodies and no face showed a trace of hesitation as all heads turned towards the direction of the heavenly gate. Angel Sakura tried to ask what had happened but all shoulders shrugged off her insistent fingers. She decided to follow first and ask later.

The arrival at the heavenly gate cleared all her doubts or nearly all of it. In the middle of the heavenly gate, just one step away from the heavenly court, was the biggest demon she had ever seen. Gathered all around the demon must surely be all the angels in heaven. Hundreds of angels flew around the demon, attacking it with their various spells. Others attacked by land and some were busily pulling out ofudas. Angel Sakura drew in her breath sharply. Scattered about the demon's feet were the bodies of three angels, who were already disintegrating. She choked back as sob as she recognized one of them as Angel Hanako. 

However, even though all the angels were tackling the demon with whatever abilities they have, only two angels seemed to be doing the main fighting. Angel Hitono faced the demon squarely and Angel Tomoyo was just beside her. Pure power shot out from Angel Tomoyo's fingertips and they burnt holes right through the demon. He reeled back from the impact and momentarily seemed to be on the verge of losing balance. Then, miraculously, right before the very eyes of all the angels, the holes began to heal and finally closed up, as if they had never been there before. 

The disbelief on Angel Tomoyo's face was total. Angel Sakura found herself perversely fascinated by the full-fledged fighting between angels and demons. Lightning crackled constantly in the air as various angels summoned it and mini-tornadoes seemed to form all over the place. Jets of water sprouted out of unknown sources and flung themselves at the demon, who either evaporated them with a fire shield or absorbed them into his own body. 

Above all the fighting and spells, was the horrifying noise. The hundreds of voices all chanting different spells at the same time was almost equivalent to the rumblings of an extremely active volcano. Most angels groaned and moaned as they sustained injury inflicted by the seemingly indestructible demon. Throughout all these, however, none of the angels screamed, either in pain or fright. All wore grim but determined expressions on their faces. Only a tiny flicker in their eyes betrayed the shock and disbelief they felt. 

Just when the demon thought he had widened the circle with the ever-increasing number of injured angels, more rushed to take their places. For the first time, the demon looked a little disorientated, as if overwhelmed by the sheer number. With a soft cry, the angel in front of Angel Sakura fell abruptly. Angel Sakura immediately moved forth to take her place, hence seeing the battle in its full ferocity. Her jaws dropped. The demon was even bigger than she had thought. Even though all the angels were casting spells at him, most wounds seemed to heal instantly. 

__

How did this thing get here? She wondered silently while hurling fireballs with all her might. Angel Tomoyo in front of her was fighting courageously. She had on a vaguely shocked expression, as if she was expecting something surprising but it did not turn out according to her expectations. Angel Hitono was throwing numerous spells with amazing speed. Then out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Angel Kaho standing stork still just outside the circle of the demon's attacking range. She had this dreamy expression that made Angel Sakura worry momentarily for her sanity. 

Suddenly, she saw her hands clasped together close to her body then thrusted out suddenly. Four more pairs of hands mimicked her moments. She realized that it was a formation. In response, the demon staggered back, its eyes glazed over. Mentally, it was completely knocked out by the full blast of five highly skilled telepaths, not to mentions five that were in formation. Taking this opportunity, Angel Hitono flew into the air. 

"Sword!" she cried, her powerful voice rose above all the chantings and murmurings. From the thin air, a huge sword was materializing, as if assembled from the very molecules of air. Aside from Angel Sakura, nobody seemed to be surprised. Before it was fully visible, Angel Hitono wielded the heavy sword and swooped in on the demon for the lethal blow. 

It happened in the blinking of an eye. A moment later, Angel Hitono had flown past the demon. Behind her the demon's mouth opened in a perfect circle. Its hideous face radiated disbelief. Without another sound, its head dislocated from its shoulders and landed with a dull thud on the floor. The huge body swayed unsteadily before falling down in a lifeless heap. A humongous silence befell heaven as the demon's body disintegrated with a puff of foul smoke. However, something glittering seemed to linger for a moment longer before it vanished too. 

An audible sigh of relief was heard as the atmosphere lightened just a little. Then Angel Hitono turned to face the angels. Her face was livid with anger. In a barely controlled quiet voice that shook with rage, she asked, "Who did it?" When nobody answer, she repeated. "WHO DID IT?" 

Angel Sakura grew nervous even though she reminded herself that she had no reason to. The ringing silence grew even heavier as nobody admitted to Angel Hitono's accusations. Finally, she motioned for Angel Kaho, who looked extremely pale. "Who did it?" she asked for a third time in a calmer voice. Angel Kaho's eyes showed fear and the faint glister of tears. She closed them. "Well?" demanded Angel Hitono. 

Opening her eyes and tears flowing free, Angel Kaho looked utterly miserable. 

"It was… Angel Sakura."

Angel Sakura's eyes widened in shock. She felt her face tinged with embarrassment as every single pair of eyes focused on her. Most of all, she felt Angel Hitono's harsh scrutiny extremely uncomfortable. Staring uncomprehending around, she soon felt the small amount of hostility in all their gazes. _What… what the hell are they talking about? _

~*~*~*~*~

Syaoran was extremely disgusted by this sudden turn of events. He had expected bloodshed. He had expected a battle. He had expected, with relish, sucking out the essence of souls with potentials. Instead, a sudden command from the dukes ordered him to retreat, full force. Another command had specifically warned him against making any unauthorized moves on Nagasaki privately, as if they had expected what he wanted to do. He was extremely disgusted. 

Most importantly, he returned to find Makai in a disgusting state. Every single demon was keenly aware of the hostility between the dukes and Akuma Naagasushite. Everybody had taken sides, either with the dukes or against them. Secret defiances of orders of the dukes were getting more and more rampant. Everything was just short of open rebellion. Not that he minded a battle with demons. It was the aftermath that got to him. Demons had a nasty habit of eating up their opponents, no matter how revolting they may look. 

Naagasushite was also beginning to trust him more and more, or rather, the closest a demon could get to trusting another of its kind. Everyday, he would rave to Syaoran about the strategies he would employ to drive the dukes off their thrones and what he would do once he was in power. Truth to be said, Naagasushite was more intelligent, more ambitious and more powerful than most demons, if not all. However, one of his failings was that he couldn't seem to keep his mouth quiet. Syaoran resented this very much. He rather wished the other demon would just get the whole thing over and done with. 

However, Grand Duke Ashitarote was nevertheless, an extremely powerful demon. It was by no luck that he climbed to his current status. Much planning would be required before the big day. During the course of waiting, Syaoran came to realize how little patience he possessed.

~*~*~*~*~

"Angel Sakura! You're now banished from this place. Your wings will soon be clipped and you'll never be allowed to return." Angel Hitono stated simply and coldly as she glared at the young angel contemptuously. More than one angel gasped in shock at this announcement. This was unheard of. 

Angel Sakura couldn't believe her ears. She was banished from heaven because of a crime she wasn't even aware of? This was hardly hair. She lifted her chin defiantly. "And why?"

Angel Hitono stared at her in shock. No one had talked to her in this manner before. "And why?" she parroted incredulous. "You mean to tell me you have no idea of the gravity of your offence?" Angel Sakura cringed as the other angel's voice climbed several octaves. Steeling herself, she said, "No. I don't think I've done anything wrong."

She felt surprise coming from all the angels present. Even Angel Kaho looked faintly puzzled. 

Some anger drained away from Angel Hitono's face. However, she still looked at Angel Sakura with utmost displeasure, like a strict piano teacher who discovered that her student had never touched the piano for a whole week [a/n: personal experience]. "You mean to say you've got no idea how the demon got here?"

Angel Sakura shook her head. Angel Hitono gave an exasperated sigh. "Explain to her, Angel Tomoyo-chan."

__

Hai, Angel Hitono-sama. 

Was it her imagination or did she saw a gleam of triumphant in Angel Tomoyo's eyes?

__

The demon, which we've slain just now, did not come to heaven by any luck or chance. In fact, it was impossible for anything without a recorded angelic essence to enter the heavenly gate at all. The bar on the heavenly gate was created by God himself. Even the most powerful demon could not hope to enter the gate by force. 

Angel Sakura felt a dreaded sickness in the pit of her stomach as she realized the implications. She longed for the other angel to stop. However, Angel Tomoyo continued without flinching.

__

This meant that, to enter the heavenly gate at all, the demon must possess the angelic essence of a known angel. While this demon was dying, some of our angels with the gift of mind sensed that the angelic essence in the demon was in fact… yours. 

"But how did it get there?" asked Angel Sakura in alarm. Angel Tomoyo gave her a devilishly sweet smile. 

__

That, is what we hope you could tell us. Note that to lure a demon to heaven is a sin punishable by death. Heaven is a sacred place, not to be tainted by the foul demons. Banishing you from heaven is actually a light punishment. 

"But I was innocent! I never gave the demon my angelic essence, if that's what you're thinking! However could you think I'm guilty based on so little evidences?" Angel Tomoyo gave a mocking laugh.

__

So little evidences? What other evidence was needed since the angelic essence was found to be yours? There's no way you can explain yourself now. Either way, the fact is that it's your angelic essence that lured it here. You would have to bear the consequences. 

Angel Sakura bit back the tears that were threatening to fall. Angel Kaho and most of the other angels were looking at her now with pity. Angel Hitono finally looked at her. It was obvious that her anger had appeased. 

"I'm sorry, child. This is a first time for me too. However, I have to clip your wings. It's a rule," Angel Hitono said finally.

"Please Angel Hitono-sama!" Angel Sakura pleaded. The tears were falling freely now. "Don't drive me away from heaven. This is my only home." 

Angel Hitono only bowed her head. "I'm sorry, child," she muttered softly. Straightening herself, she commanded in a crisp voice, "Clip her wings now. However, let her keep some of her true gift and some of her powers." 

Angel Sakura sank down with a sob. A pair of angels had come forth, each holding a pair of scissors. She did not feel any pain as her wings were cut off, just a terrible loss, as if something very precious had been taken from her life forever. She wept and wept, totally wetting the front of her dress. 

She was not alone in her tears. Angel Kaho came and hugged her, whispering her good-byes, asking her to take care of herself. Slowly, one by one, the other angels came forth to hug her. Even though extremely well-composed, everyone looked startled, as if they couldn't believe whatever that had happened. 

The only one who hung back was Angel Tomoyo. She was watching the whole scene with a small satisfactory smile. 

Finally, the moment came. Angel Sakura was to be banished from heaven to Chijou. She would be a mortal and experience life and death as a mortal. Pushing the sadness aside, she felt fear. She realized that she was the first fallen angel ever.

Taking one last opportunity to converse, Angel Kaho hurried whispered to her, "Just now Angel Hitono said that you would get to keep your true ability. Do you know what is it? Aside from your abilities as a yumemi, do you know what other powers you possess?" Seeing the terrified angel's shake of head, she groaned softly. "I really hate to leave you with so little protection. I…" She never got to finish the sentence as Angel Hitono interrupted her.

"Angel Sakura, please know that this is a heavenly rule. None of us wanted this. Now, it's time for you to go," she paused, as if considering whether to say something or not. Finally, she said it, "Please take care of yourself. We'll miss you." Not a few sobs were heard after this. 

Angel Sakura felt vulnerably light without her wings, not that her wings were heavy, she was not used to the emptiness on her back. Taking a deep breath and a last look at her fellow angels, she walked right through the heavenly gate. And started falling. This time, she did not scream. A long passage of extraordinary colours passed her by as she fell to her birth. 

A stunned silence fell after Angel Sakura took the plunge. Though they all knew it was inevitable, many could not believe when Angel Sakura finally jumped. They had expected Angel Hitono to retract her command at the last moment. The older angel herself looked a little startled to see the young angel disappear from their sight. Finally, she waved a weary hand asking the rest of the angels to return to whatever they were doing. 

Still with a small smile, Angel Tomoyo too turned to go. She felt a restraining hand on her shoulder. She turned around to face the fierce gaze of Angel Hitono. "Don't leave yet," she said tersely. Angel Tomoyo was a little alarmed by the strange expression on the other angel's face.

__

Hai.

When nearly all the other angels had left, Angel Hitono finally began to speak. "Don't think I'm not aware of what you have done. Honestly, I'm terribly disappointed with you. As a senior angel, I would have expected you treat a minor with love. Instead…" 

Cold fear licked at Angel Tomoyo's heart. _How did she know?_ She wondered silently. She tried her best to hide her agitation.

__

Are you going to banish me from heaven too, Angel Hitono-sama?

Angel Hitono looked a little taken back by the other angel's bluntness. "No," she replied tiredly. "I'm not going to go through all those again. No, I have some other things for you to do. Take it as, an atonement of your sins." 

Angel Tomoyo was surprised. She had expected the older angel to fly into a rage. She looked at her questioningly.

"I want you to go down to Chijou and pose as a mortal to protect her. This is the least you could do for her, after what you've done _to_ her. Take this as long-term mission. Don't forget, I'll be watching you." Angel Hitono too turned to go. 

Angel Tomoyo stared at her retreating figure with shock, then anger. This was worse than any punishment. To think that all the trouble she went to just to get rid of her, she had to be stuck with her again. With a frustrated cry, she resignedly flew down to Chijou. 

~*~*~*~*~

Syaoran had a weird feeling in his stomach the moment he woke up. He felt something important was going to happen today. The look Naagasushite gave him as he stood guard over his bed confirmed his suspicions. [1] This is _the_ day. 

~*~*~*~*~

Fujitaka Kinomoto did not even notice the pain when his fingernails dug into his palms as his wife gave another strangled scream. He mopped at his shinning brow absentmindedly. All who knew him would probably agree that this was the only moment Fujitaka had been anything but calm, except maybe when Touya Kinomoto was born. The aforementioned boy was currently lounging lazily on the chairs provided by the hospital. Only the whites of his knuckles as he gripped onto the hand bar and the way his body tensed whenever his mother gave a particularly loud scream betrayed the nervousness he's feeling. 

"Never another one," Fujitaka murmured fervently as he paced outside the room his wife was in. A particularly bloodcurdling scream made him stopped momentarily before he resumed his pointless pacing. Finally, a series of screams brought him to a standstill. Then they suddenly stopped. The silence felt uncomfortable, as if it had never meant to be there. True enough, soon, the distinct crying of a baby was heard. Both father and son rushed to the door expectantly. 

Finally, the doctor pushed open the door, wearing a huge grin on his face. "The birth was very successful. You have a daughter and she has the most astonishing pair of green eyes I've ever seen." Feeling faint with relief and weak with happiness, Fujitaka rushed past the doctor to his tired but smiling wife. "Nadeshiko," he whispered with love, "thank you."

His gaze shifted from his wife and he looked down to see the most adorable baby he had ever seen, or so he thought in his heightened fatherly sense. Finding no words to describe the beauty he had seen in the tiny baby, he asked simply, "What shall we name her?"

"Sakura," Nadeshiko said softly but firmly.

Fujitaka nodded affirmatively.

"Sakura Kinomoto she will be then." 

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[1]: demons dun haf to sleep but syaoran has to. He's a mortal rite? anw, while he's sleeping, naagasushite has to stand guard over him coz if not the other demons will harm him. We dun want dat to happen, do we?

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A/N: There, its not _dat_ long, is it? the later updates might take even longer though so pls be patient with me. So here it is… the last chapter of Sakura no Tenshi Part I. There'll of coz be a part II. Remember to support dat too ne? oh yar, I received quite a lot of inquiries abt wat dat demon ting was in the last chap. If u all still remember, in the chap before the previous one, Tomoyo placed Sakura's angelic essence [gosh, how the hell did I come up with these kind of childish names?] at some part of dat forest n a demon smelt it rite? anw, he came n ate up the essence and he became powerful. Coz sakura's essence is extremely powerful. As to wat her true ability is, dat still kant be revealed now. 

Anw, thanx to everybody who's reviewed. I really appreciate it very much. However, to encourage me further and prevent me frm dying of excessive sch work, everyone who reads diz story shld **review**. though im not saying u muz review but it's a bit unfair to me if u dun review rite? I did spend a lot of effort writing it… ::pitiful look::

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Disclaimer: Sadly, CCS does not belong to me. To make up for dat, im going to manipulate her charac as much as possible. ::evil laughter::

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A/N [2]: firstly, im so glad dat so many ppl lyk lord of the rings. ::hearts:: secondly, for anyone who's craving for a little romance in this story, it'll come out in the nxt chap. Or rather, the nxt part. Be prepared for a bit of angst too. im promising no happy ending. ::grinz::


	11. Epilogue

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Sakura no Tenshi

============== 

Epilogue – The Beginning

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Sakura

…

****

Sakura

…

****

You're finally here.

…

****

So now, our little game begins.

…

****

Really, you should never have started it.

…

****

For now, I can't stop.

…

****

I have to play it till the end.

…

****

That's why, you have to too.

…

****

My beautiful… Sakura

…

****

Are you angry?

…

****

Are you?

A little

****

Don't be, you'll have him

Its you I want and you know it

****

I reside in him

Sure you do

****

Sakura, please don't be angry with me

Why not?

****

I just want… to have something I can't control

That's why you made me?

****

…

That's why you've caused me to love you?

****

…

That's why you're playing this game with me?

****

…

The game that will only hurt me?

****

…

It's amazing to know, that you can be selfish too.

****

Sakura, please…

I just wanted you to love me.

****

I do.

Not as you love everyone else.

****

…

Love me, I don't want him.

****

Sakura, either ways, you have to go to him. I made you for him. Only… only I don't know how he will feel. That's the only thing I can't control.

Then what about my love for you?

****

I'm sorry. I'll have to erase it.

!!!

****

I'm sorry. You won't feel the hurt after that.

You never loved me.

****

That's not true, Sakura.

You never loved me.

****

Don't say that, Sakura.

You never loved me.

****

You know I do, Sakura.

You never loved me.

****

Stop saying it!

You never loved me.

****

Stop saying it!

You never loved me.

****

Die Sakura, if that's the only way to stop you saying it.

You never loved me.

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Die!

YOU NEVER LOVED ME!!!

****

DIE!!!!!!

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Sakura?

****

Sakura?

****

SAKURA!!!

__

You never loved me.

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You're right. 

I never did.

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A/N: Where did that come frm?! k, I have to admit datz a bit weird. Its not very obvious who sakura's talking to rite? nvm, it will be [I hope]. Juz tot it wld be appropriate to have an epilogue to end off the story. After all, it has prologue [two of them in fact]. The story wld look more complete, in all its incompleteness. Hm… im looking forward to writing the first chapter of SnT part II too. lolx. Its hopefully going to be interesting. 

Well, I haf to admit dat a selfish part of me wants the review no. to hit 100. Its not too much to ask for izzit? ::sighz:: I really want it to reach 100. Den it'll be the first story with 3 digit reviews. ::sighz:: hopefull it'll reach 100, if not I'll not write the nxt chapters! K, I wont do smth so selfish. Im going to write SnT part II no matter how many reviews I receive, juz dat u'll haf a very unhappy author who'll juz kill off everyone… all right, I wont do dat either. ::sighz:: review no. I command you to reach 100. All right, I'll consider dat I've reached 100. Shall write the nxt chapters. 

Review **review**. onegai. 

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Disclaimer: Me own nothing. 

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